The Force of a Dragon
by abbzeh
Summary: When Lucy joins Fairy Tail, she expects the crazy. What she doesn't expect is the guild's 'family secret' concerning a certain dragon slayer. E.N.D au. Ish.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: So, new story time. I actually started writing this a while back, and it's been an idea that I've been wanting to write for a while now. Basically, here's the premise of it: Natsu is aware that he's a demon, is aware that he's Zeref's brother and knows that Zeref's alive and all that, so has greater powers than in canon. And while he's slightly more logical, he's still. Well. Natsu. It follows canon, but also strays a bit whilst it does if that makes sense?_

 _I already have the first few chapters written, because I wanted to know if I could do this first._

 _Title comes from Cry Thunder by Dragonforce._

* * *

"So, Hargeon, eh?"

"Aye, sir."

The crowd that had been in front of two figures, one significantly smaller than the other – and also flying with wings but that hardly matters at the moment – dispersed, revealing what appeared to be a boy in his late teens to early twenties, wild salmon hair all over the place. Beside him at eye level was a flying blue cat. Neither of them seemed too concerned that the cat was blue, and that the cat was also flying. The boy turned to his companion.

"Do you think Igneel really is here?"

The blue cat looked thoughtful before speaking next. "Well, they said that Salamander's supposed to be here, right?"

"And who else would Salamander be referring to but Igneel?" the boy finished, determined grin forming on his face. He looked back at his friend. "Come on, Happy!"

* * *

Somewhere further in the port town of Hargeon, Fiore, a girl was walking briskly down the street, an annoyed look on her face as she muttered to herself.

"I can't believe he only knocked off a measly one thousand jewels!" she muttered darkly, glaring at the ground before suddenly stopping. "What good are my feminine wiles if they won't get me decent discounts?!" Such was Lucy's life, anyway. Already three months in and she was spending nineteen thousand jewels on gate keys? Lucy shook her head. It was worth it, all to become a stronger wizard, to join _that_ guild.

A group of girls stampeded past her, leaving a cloud of dust and grit in their wake, screaming at the top of their lungs as they somehow managed to part the crowds with their sheer presence. Lucy blinked. _What the…_

"It's the famous Fairy Tail wizard!"

"Salamander is here!"

Lucy's eyes widened. Salamander? Here, in Hargeon? She looked towards where the group of girls were running to, and she could see a group forming around someone, screaming and squealing the whole time. "That has to be him!" she exclaimed out loud, making a beeline for the group as well, wanting to get a look at the famous Salamander.

Lucy wasn't sure what she was expecting. She didn't know what Salamander looked like, granted, but she was pretty sure that she wasn't expecting him to look like this. Maybe the stories of his exploits had given her images of someone with a wilder look to him, a feistier grin. This guy that the girls were fawning over seemed too – slimy, too angled. And there was an odd feeling buzzing in her head, like cotton wool, almost making her feel compelled to walk up to him like the other girls.

"What the…"

Lucy trailed off, glancing at his hand. There was a ring there, and suddenly she felt her head clear. So that's what it was. She frowned, but before she could think any more on it, the crowd of gaggling girls was suddenly split down the middle by two newcomers. A teenage boy who appeared to be around Lucy's age and a blue cat. Salamander glanced at them, before giving them both a grin.

"Ah! Do you two want autographs as well?" Salamander asked with a flourish. The two stared at him blankly for a second before turning to one another.

"This isn't Igneel," the boy said, sounding disappointed, but also not surprised.

"Aye," the cat replied, tilting its head and looking at Salamander. Lucy stared wide eyed at the cat. _Since when can cats talk?!_

The boy glanced at Salamander, giving him a once over. He smirked, and Lucy felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck. "But he ain't no Salamander, either."

A handbag flew at him, and Lucy had to duck to avoid it. "You take that back!"

"Salamander is a great wizard!"

The boy and cat gave the crowd more unimpressed looks, and turned to leave –

\- Only to be dragged back, the boy looked supremely confused. Lucy didn't blame him, and she looked at Salamander's ring again.

"You dared to offend Salamander!"

"Now, now, ladies," Salamander himself said, taking a step forward and flashing what Lucy supposed he thought was a benevolent smile, "I'm sure he didn't mean any harm by it."

A few girls honestly fainted with love struck expressions on their faces.

"Salamander is so kind!"

From nowhere, Salamander whipped out a piece of paper and a pen, signed the paper with a flourish and handed it over to the boy, grinning. "There. Now you can show this off to all your friends!"

"Thanks," the boy said, trying to hand it back, "but I don't want it."

The speed in which the fangirls of Salamander kicked him out of their sacred circle was really amazing and something to behold, and rather than watch Salamander anymore – because really, who disappears on an actual puff of smoke? – she took off after the boy and the cat who had riled up the girls. She learned that their names were Natsu and Happy, treated them to lunch for helping her realise why her head felt like it did around Salamander, and they then parted ways. It was no big deal.

* * *

Natsu and Happy stood on a hill, overlooking the Hargeon port. Just off the shore was a yacht, lit up bright enough to be an eyesore from even here. Whatever, he and Happy were full and content from their meal with Loopy, or whatever her name was.

"You ready to get back home, Happy?" Natsu asked, turning around to lean on the barriers that kept people from falling off the edge up here. He inwardly smirked. As if that would hurt him.

"Aye sir!" Happy affirmed cheerfully, saluting for good measure. Just as he was weighing up the pros and cons of skipping getting the train in favour of the longer, but less painful journey of walking, he saw a group of girls gathered a stone's throw away from Happy and himself.

"Isn't that the Salamander's yacht?" one of them asked, pointing out to the glowing eyesore in the harbour.

"Who's the Salamander?" one of her friends asked, sounding confused.

" _Tch_! He's only the most famous fire wizard in Fiore!"

"He's part of the Fairy Tail guild!"

Natsu froze, blood running cold despite his hot-blooded nature. He had been content to sit around and let this 'Salamander' run around, to an extent, because putting a stop to him was more trouble than it was worth, and both he and Happy were lazy people at heart. .

This mention of Fairy Tail, however… Well, that just wouldn't do. As the frozen feeling faded, he felt the air around him heating up, and was vaguely aware of Happy taking a step backwards.

"So he's in Fairy Tail, is he?" he muttered, twisting his torso to look at the yacht, narrowing his eyes at it.

Scoping it out.

* * *

Glaring through her growing tears, Lucy glared at Salamander, trying not to look at his cronies surrounding her, the unconscious girls who had been lured to the yacht just as she had.

"You just magic to hurt others." Her heart was beating so fast from her rage that it physically hurt her chest, that a wooshing sound that wasn't the ocean filled her ears. "YOU'RE THE WORST WIZARD ALIVE!"

Perhaps she would have said something else. Perhaps Salamander would have said something cocky in response like the slimeball he was, but neither had the opportunity to happen. Instead, what did happen was the roof of the yacht collapsing on everyone. Lucy nearly shrieked.

The debris and dust cleared, leaving someone in its wake. Lucy's eyes widened.

"It's you!"

Natsu's entrance to the yacht would have been significantly more badass, had he not immediately turned a pale shade of green and held his hand to his mouth. Lucy stared.

"This was a bad idea," he ground out, sounding as though he was in a great deal of pain.

"This is the lamest rescue party ever," Lucy informed him, earning a pained death glare in response.

Above the hole left in the ceiling, a winged form suddenly appeared and started hovering. Lucy looked up when the shadow came near her.

"Hi, Lucy!" Happy said cheerfully, floating above the boat, white feathery wings spread. "What're you doing here?"

"This jerk was supposed to get me into Fairy Tail," Lucy said, pointing at Salamander over her shoulder, where he stood watching the unfolding events with a dumbfounded expression. "And instead he – wait, hold on. Since when can you fly?!"

Happy gave her a look. "I'm a blue cat, Lucy. Of course I can fly."

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!"

"Happy!" Natsu said loudly from his spot on the floor, where he appeared to be stuck with his sudden bout of motion sickness. "Take Lucy and go!"

"Aye, sir!"

Before Lucy could even protest, she felt herself being picked up by the back of her dress and carried off the boat and into the sky. "Wait, what about Natsu?" she asked, watching the yacht disappear beneath them.

"I can't carry two people. Besides, Natsu will be fine." A second later, tendrils of purple fire came shooting towards them, looking as though they had every intention of knocking Lucy and Happy out of the sky. Lucy shrieked as Happy flew to avoid them, watching the tendrils collide into dazzling firework displays that lit up the night.

"We have a problem, Lucy," Happy squeaked out, flying more slowly than before. "My transformation's up!"

Lucy felt her stomach leave her body about two seconds before she actually plummeted to the ocean, and it could only be described as 'an odd sensation'. The actual act of breaking the surface, however, was like hitting a brick wall. Lucy sank down, dazed for a second, before beginning to swim up. On a jagged rock, just beneath the rippling surface, she spotted something glinting in the moonlight. Something silver and gold…

No way.

Quickly swimming towards it, she snatched at the ring of gate keys and broke the surface of the water, breathing heavily and staring at her keys happily. "Talk about an amazing coincidence!" she said breathlessly.

"Are you talking to yourself, Lucy?" came a voice from beside her. Surprise surprise, it was Happy. Lucy glared at the water in front of her.

"Shut up, cat."

Taking her gate keys, periodically glancing between the port and the yacht, and hoping she wasn't going to regret calling upon this particular spirit. Taking a deep breath, she stuck the key into the water.

" ** _Open, gate of the water bearer! Aquarius!_** "

* * *

A giant tidal wave and a lot of attempted throwing up later, Natsu found himself standing on top of the wrecked yacht, watching the dumbfounded cronies of 'Salamander' and the man himself try to figure out what had just happened. Admittedly, he had no idea what had just happened either, but now that the pesky ocean was out of the way, it was party time.

"Natsu!"

He recognised that voice as belonging to Lucy, and he had a suspicion that she was the one responsible for the yacht being grounded now. After all, things didn't happen by mere coincidence. For now, though, he ignored her and focused his attention on the proceedings on the broken boat.

"You know," he said, raising his voice so that everyone, including Salamander, would stop talking to look at him, "I was just gonna leave you all alone. After all, you're actually doing me a favour, increasing my rep and all." The air around Natsu began to heat up rapidly. "But bringing Fairy Tail into this?" He took a step closer to the edge, his anger simmering softly beneath his skin. "So you're from that guild, huh?"

'Salamander' smirked up at him, brushing strands of misaligned hair from his very punchable face. "Yeah. What's it to you, you little punk?"

"Let me get a closer look at your face." Faster than anyone around him could quite make out, Natsu threw his maroon, long sleeved jacket off, tossing it aside and paying no mind to where it landed. It wasn't like it mattered anyway. Clothes were easily replaceable. "I'm Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail, and I've never seen your face before!"

"He's in Fairy Tail?!" he heard Lucy gasp, somewhere to the side.

"This is going to be fun," Happy said cheerfully, from somewhere next to her. Inwardly smirking, he steeled his gaze on the would-be wizards.

"Bora, look at his guild mark!" one of his cronies, a large fellow with a crooked nose – how unfortunate – said hurriedly, "He's the real deal!"

"I told you not to call me that!" 'Salamander' – now revealed as Bora – snapped back, looking between the one who revealed him and Natsu.

"Bora, huh?" Natsu tilted his head, looking at him. Yeah, he could see the resemblance now. "Bora the providence, apparently kicked out of Titan Nose a couple of years ago. I didn't even _know_ they kicked people out for bad behaviour, given the company they keep, so congrats on that, buddy." His glare hardened. "But I don't care what you're trying to pull here. I'm not going to let you dirty Fairy Tail's name!"

He began slowly walking forward, not taking his gaze off his target.

Bora smirked. "And you're going to stop me?" A magic circle appeared in front of him as he yelled, " ** _Providence typhoon!_** "

It was all Natsu could do to not smirk at the incoming purple flames charging straight towards him. _They never learn_.

As soon as the flames made contact with him, he could hear the blast around him, vaguely make out Lucy's horrified shout from further away and Bora's gloating to his cronies. For a moment, however, he focused on how weak the flames were, how disgustingly tasteless they were and how they barely even tickled his skin. Honestly, it was like taking a lukewarm shower. Except the lukewarm shower was better.

"The larger the talk, the weaker the man," Bora said from the other side of the wall of fire.

Natsu smirked. Time for the opening act.

With gusto, he began swallowing down the flames that Bora had helpfully supplied him with. "Tch! Are you sure you're really a fire wizard? Because these are the worst flames I've ever tasted!"

It was all worth it to see the horrified looks on their faces. He didn't even know why Bora tried to fight him after that, knowing that he was immune to fire. Especially weak fire like that. In the end, Natsu only ended up destroying the man's yacht, and really, he was doing everyone a favour by destroying that eyesore. He didn't know the rune knights would see it that way as well, though. So for good measure, when preparing to make a getaway, he decided to grab Lucy's hand.

"Where the hell are you taking me?!" Lucy demanded as she was being dragged along behind Natsu and Happy. The latter two exchanged a grin.

"You said you wanted to join Fairy Tail, right?" Happy said, flying just above them. Natsu looked back and saw that Lucy's eyes had gotten wide. It seemed that the implication had sunk in.

He grinned. "So let's go!"

* * *

 _Author's note: So, that was that. Meeting chapter. I really hope it was okay because I'm super nervous about posting this story and posting new chapters. Please let me know if it's okay?_


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Thank you for the kind reviews you left on the last chapter! It made me so happy to read them uwu I'm still trying to make things better in the story, so hopefully things will continue to be okay *fingers crossed*

* * *

Returning home to Magnolia after having been on a job for a few days always felt like a welcome relief. To Natsu, there was no greater sight than seeing the guild hall, their emblem resting proudly above the wooden doors, waiting for them, welcoming them home after a job well done. With every passing step, he could see Lucy's eyes filling with more excitement. Happy giggled to himself, and Natsu smiled.

He kicked the door open the moment it was within reach, and shouted, "We made it back alive!"

As expected, there was the good natured groaning in the back, a few raising of glasses, and Elfman shouting, "Just like a real **MAN**!" Natsu turned his head slightly and looked at Lucy, grinning at the look of wonder on her face. Just as he expected from her as well. Fairy Tail was really something to behold when you first saw it.

Turning to her fully, he waited until she had his attention, then said, "Go over to the bar and speak to Mira." He nodded over at the white haired woman smiling and serving drinks, and he grinned at Lucy. "Happy'll go with you. I'm just going to take care of something."

"Wait, you can't just – " Lucy began to say, but whatever else was in that sentence Natsu missed as he made his way through the people and tables of the guild hall and up the stairs, to the second floor.

On the second floor, in the shade of the rafters and the relative privacy from the rest of the guild, the noise seemed to quieten down, dimming to a low hum. Walking over to the requests board, he stared at it, indecision running through him. The low hum helped to calm his mind, but he couldn't decide on a job request. Maybe it was just him. Maybe the jobs for S-Class just weren't good at the moment.

Just as he was about to leave, one caught his eye. _A cursed island, huh?_ Mentally filing that information away for later, he turned at the sound of low chucking, coming from somewhere behind him.

"Back already, Natsu?" Laxus moved out of the shadows, smirking and arms crossed, jacket hanging lazily across his shoulders. "Though I'm not surprised."

"It was hardly even a fight," Natsu shrugged, leaning against the requests board as he brought out the flyer he'd completed, prior to meeting Lucy. "Guy was annoying. I think he was trying to lecture me to death. And don't even get me started on his so-called assassins."

Laxus merely smirked in response, and moved to rest his arm on the bannister. "I don't know why you insist on hanging around with those weaklings, Natsu," he said, observing the guild below them for a moment.

Natsu closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, forcing himself to remain calm. "Just because they're technically weaker than us, Laxus, doesn't mean – "

"That they're weaklings," Laxus finished airily, waving a hand dismissively, "Yeah, yeah." He glanced at Natsu over his shoulder. "I know you tend to do your jobs with Happy – and I'm not saying anything about him so don't you ignite that fist at me! – but you've been on jobs with Titania and Levy before." Laxus gave him a look. "If you want a job partner so bad, dragon breath, then I'm more than happy to oblige. We could even get Mystogan to join in on the fun if he ever sticks around for long enough."

"You have your Thunder Legion always following you around, though," Natsu countered, pointedly glancing to where Bixlow, Freed and Evergreen were sitting, talking quietly amongst themselves. For some reason, Bixlow was doing a lot of flailing.

Laxus shrugged.

"They can take care of themselves for one day."

Natsu had to grin, then. "Alright then, bolt brains. I'll take you up on that at some point."

With a nod and a smirk, Laxus turned back to… whatever he'd been doing in the shadows before Natsu turned up, and Natsu himself made his way down the stairs, making his way towards the bar. Somehow, in the time that he'd spent on the second floor, which was five minutes, maybe ten at the most, another brawl had broken out. He watched from the bottom step as Elfman threw himself into the fray, shouting, "A real man never backs down from a challenge!" Jet and Droy were attempting to shield Levy… by bickering about who was protecting her the most.

And then there was Gray.

"Heard ya were back in town," Gray said, managing to slither out of the fight and stand in front Natsu. "Gonna let me fight you this time, flame brain?"

Natsu yawned and stretched his arms above his head. "Nah."

Gray opened his mouth to respond, probably in the normal, "Why not?" way, but he was interrupted by Cana throwing an empty keg towards him, helpfully shouting, "Gray, your clothes!"

Gray looked down at himself, and his eyes bugged out. "Crap!" He immediately began looking around for his clothes, but in his attempt to try and pick his shirt up off the floor, he accidentally tripped and fell into Levy, knocking her over. Natsu suppressed a smirk at the flash in her eyes.

Before Jet or Droy even had the chance to notice what was happening, Levy was back on her feet and pointing at Gray, shouting, " ** _Solid script: fire_**!"

Natsu turned and made the final part of his journey to the bar, still chuckling at Gray's misfortune. After all, you didn't want to get on Levy's bad side. "Why does he want to fight me so bad, anyway?" he wondered aloud, then shrugged it off. Must be a stripper thing.

He got to the bar in time to hear Mira ask, "What colour would you like your guild mark and where?"

Lucy grinned, her eyes dancing with delight, and replied, "Pink, on my right hand." As soon as she saw Natsu walk up the bar, she waltzed over to him to show her mark. "Look, Natsu. I'm a member of the guild now!"

"Sure, that's great Loopy," Natsu replied absently. Mira gave him a small smile and wandered over to them. "I finished this request, Mira."

Mira nodded, taking the flyer of the request that he'd put on the bar. "I take it the Duke wasn't too much for you?"

Natsu just snorted. "I think the guy tried to lecture me to death. I burnt down his library."

Mira tried to adopt a stern face, but Natsu could see her lips twitching. "Now, now, Natsu. It's not nice to go around burning down libraries, you know."

He shrugged. "I got my job done." Suddenly remembering something, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden key, something that one of the maids had given him after Everlue was arrested. "Say, Loony – "

"Lucy," Lucy ground out, looking annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu dismissed, waving his free hand, "You're a celestial spirit wizard, right?"

Lucy blinked, her annoyed look suddenly morphing into confusion. "I – yeah." She looked genuinely startled that Natsu had remembered that piece of information.

"I got this as an extra on my last job, the one I did just before meeting you," he explained, showing her the golden key. He could see her eyes widen even more, and her gaze seemed to focus on it. "I'm not a celestial wizard, so since I have no need of it, why don't you take it?"

"That's a zodiac gate key! That's – wait what?"

Natsu shrugged, grin fading into a more genuine smile. "Here. Consider it a 'welcome to the most awesome guild, we hope you enjoy your stay' gift," he said, handing the key over to her. With shaking hands, she took the key, looking like she couldn't quite believe what had transpired just now.

"Thank you, Natsu," she breathed, looking at the key reverently. After a moment, she attached it to her ring of other keys, and gave him the happiest smile that Natsu had probably ever seen. She might have said more, but gramps chose that moment to finally stop the brawl happening around them, scold everyone for property damage, scold the magic council for sending them bills for property damage – he even burned the bills, much to Natsu's delight. He'd been feeling a bit hungry and there was no better snack than burning council documents – and announce that he was leaving for a guild master's meeting, leaving Mira in charge.

With a cheerful smile, Mira turned back to Lucy. "Now that you're one of us, it's time you learned the family secret we have around here."

Natsu glanced at Happy, who was happily munching away on a fish, and smirked to himself. He loved this part. Lucy looked apprehensive.

"Family secret?" Lucy asked, looking confused. Mira nodded, face shifting into what everyone in the guild referred to as her 'stern mode'. Even gramps obeyed her when she was like that.

"This is something that can only be talked about with fellow guild members, and no one else." Lucy nodded, and Mira smiled again. "Natsu here is actually a demon."

 _Three._

 _Two._

 _One._

"What?!"

Mira nodded again, picking up a glass and turning briefly to put it away on the shelves behind her. "You wouldn't think so, would you?" Natsu watched Lucy take in the information, absently eating the fire he'd found on a stick like a whirl of cotton candy. He could see questions forming in her brain, like she couldn't decide on which to ask first. He'd had a lot in his time at Fairy Tail, the most common being, ' _why do you have a demon in your guild?_ '

Instead, what came out of her mouth was, "But how can he be a dragon slayer as well?"

Natsu decided to answer that one. "It's complicated, Luigi." Ignoring the look Lucy gave him, he tossed the stick at the bin, "As a demon, I was already pretty in touch with fire. When Igneel found me and taught me slayer magic, the two seemed to strengthen each other, probably because they're both fire based." He paused for a moment. "As for being both, that's a really long story that I can't explain because it hurts my head to think about."

Lucy just stared at him.

"You're the lamest demon ever," she declared, and Natsu shrugged.

"I never said I was a good one."

There was a loud crash from behind them, and the three of them looked in the direction from which it came. Gray had managed to worm his way out of another scuffle that had somehow gotten Max, Laki, Vijeeter and _Nab_ involved, and was staring at Natsu with a fierce look on his face. Natsu sighed, knowing what was going to happen.

"Natsu!" Gray roared, oblivious to his shirtless-and-pantlessness. "Fight me already! **_Ice make: hammer_**!"

With a bored look, Natsu raised a hand towards the incoming projectile heading towards him. The moment the hammer came within touching distance of his fingers, the ice immediately shattered, like ice breaking apart in warmer weather. Lucy let out a screech from his side, and Natsu sent Gray another look.

"Nah," he said, repeating his earlier answer. Honestly, how often was he going to have to repeat himself?

"A real man finishes what he starts!" Elfman yelled, and he unexpectedly yanked Gray back into the fray, throwing wild punches. Natsu snorted at the sight, half tempted to join in. Shaking his head, he turned back to Lucy, only to find her staring at him with wide eyes.

"I take it back," she squeaked out, waving her hands frantically. "You're not lame!"

Happy sniggered from behind his fish. "Yes he is."

Suddenly, the guild hall doors burst open, the loud bang echoing throughout and leaving a silence in its wake. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look to the interruption, to see Loke standing at the doors, looking terrified.

"It's Erza!" he panted, hanging onto the door by one hand, eyes wide behind his glasses. "She's back!"

* * *

Author's note: So we have Lucy in on the guild's little secret. We also have Laxus being friends with Natsu, because who doesn't like Laxus when he isn't trying to take over the guild? Hopefully that was okay. Was it okay? Please let me know?

(This is also a little thing I want to quickly mention: while I read the manga, as well as watch the anime sub, a lot of terms I've kept in from the anime dub, like 'thunder legion'. I really hope this doesn't confuse anyone!)


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Again, thank you for the lovely reviews that you left on the last chapter. It really makes me happy to read them uwu I'm also really sorry that it took me a bit longer to get this one uploaded. I was sick and that sort of led to a migraine for a few days, so that sort of slowed down my writing a bit. At least that's over for now. Anyway, I really hope that this was okay, and again, I'm really sorry about the wait!

* * *

In the space of a split second, Lucy watched the partial relative calm of the guildhall transform into mass chaos and confusion, complete with shouting and what looked like tears. Everyone who had been in the midst of fighting before immediately broke apart and starting scurrying around, shouting at each other. The only people who didn't seem affected by the sudden change in atmosphere were Mirajane and Natsu, the former of whom was humming away whilst cleaning glasses, and the latter of whom was now leaning against the bar, drinking something that Lucy could feel the heat of, even two seats away.

"Why is everyone so afraid of this 'Erza' person?" she asked aloud, not expecting anyone to answer her in their mad panic.

"She's a monster!" someone shouted from the fray.

"She punishes us!"

"She's the real demon around here!"

"She can destroy mountains!" Gray said, coming to a halt in front of Lucy and looking so serious she didn't know whether to believe her or not. Beside her, Natsu sniggered.

"You might wanna put some clothes on before she gets here, Frosty," he helpfully pointed out, pointing at Gray's boxers for good measure. Gray went even paler, if that was possible.

"CRAP! Has anyone seen my – !"

Whatever Gray was going to ask everyone else was lost in the sound of the heavy guild doors, gently creaking open and allowing sunlight to flood in. The chaos immediately stopped, as though someone had frozen time, and someone slowly began to walk into the guild. Something large and heavy looking was being carried above them, almost like a tooth or tusk of some kind.

The object dropped, and once the light adjusted, Lucy could see the person properly. A woman – probably around Natsu and Gray's age – was standing there, clad entirely in armour, with shocking red hair trailing down her back. It was then that Lucy realised that when they'd all said 'Erza', they'd all meant 'Erza Scarlet, aka Titania'.

"She's really pretty," she mumbled under her breath.

"I have returned," she announced, hand hovering over the sword at her hip. She glanced around her fellow guild members, a stern look in her eye. "Is Master Makarov around?"

"No, sorry," Mira replied, smiling, "He's left for a conference."

Erza nodded. "I see."

Max, one of the wizards Mira had pointed out to Lucy before, timidly raised a hand. "What's that humongous thing you got there, Erza?" he asked, pointing at the tusk-tooth thing. Erza glanced at it before looking back at the guild.

"It's the tusk of a large monster I defeated," she said, as though she was describing something mundane as the weather. "The townspeople were so grateful that they decorated it and gave it to me as a gift." She narrowed her eyes at Max. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No ma'am!"

Erza straightened up, hands on her hips and looked around. She narrowed her eyes, and everyone collectively flinched. Lucy just stared.

"Now listen up. On the road I heard a few things, things about how as of late, Fairy Tail is causing nothing but trouble." Her eyes narrowed further, and the aura around her seemed to turn dark and menacing. Lucy swore she heard a whimper from somewhere in the back of the hall. "Now, Master Makarov might not care, but _I_ most certainly do."

She glanced over to where Cana was sitting, inhaling a keg of ale. "Cana, you need to start controlling your drinking!" Without turning around, "Vijeeter, please take the dancing outside." The guy who had been apparently panic dancing broke out into sweats. She began to walk amongst the tables. "Wakaba, get rid of that filthy habit!" Wakaba's eyes bugged out at having been chosen as a victim. Erza glanced at the request board. "Nab, I suspected I would find you here. Just pick a job!" Her eyes flicked over to Jet and Droy, who immediately started whimpering. "You two, stop bickering whenever you're out on a job! Levy can take care of herself!" She stopped her death march in front of Loke, who was shaking on the stop, and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Loke, keep your crowd of fan girls out of the guildhall!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Loke squeaked out, saluting her.

"She's really tearing into everyone!" Lucy squeaked out, staring wide-eyed at the scene playing out in front of her.

"That's Erza for you!" Happy cheered in agreement, appearing beside her with a large grin and fish.

Somehow, through the crowd of petrified people, Lucy spotted Gray trying to surreptitiously find all of his clothes before Erza could root him out. Unfortunately, it seemed Erza had 'trouble maker vision', and she spotted him as well.

"Gray," she snapped, making Gray freeze on the spot, "Fix that stripping habit!"

As Gray ran off to put his clothes back on, now that he didn't need to be secretive about it, Erza turned to Natsu. "I heard some troubling things on my way back here, and ordinarily I would consult the master on this." Erza clenched her fist. "However, the situation is too grave to ignore. Natsu, and Gray, I need your help with something."

* * *

"Uh…"

Lucy wasn't quite sure how she'd ended up here, in Magnolia Station, at an ungodly hour, with Erza, Gray, Natsu and Happy. She fidgeted uncomfortably, eyes flicking between the stare that Gray was giving Natsu, and the mountain of luggage that Erza had brought with her. Lucy could swear she could see a costume sticking out in that thing.

"Why is _he_ even here, anyway?" Gray asked, pointing at Natsu. Somehow in the process, he managed to lose his jacket. "Shouldn't you be off somewhere else with one of your S-Class buddies? Or Laxus?"

"How can you be this angry this early in the morning, Frosty?" Natsu asked, yawning half way through his question. Happy landed on top of his head, still looking half asleep.

"Aye," he nodded, rubbing his eyes, "Maybe he should try eating some yummy, calming fish." The idea of fish seemed to perk Happy up, whilst Gray just shot the cat a glare.

"I need _both_ of you on this with me. There's no telling what evil they're planning…" Erza seemed to trail off, talking to herself more than the others at that point. Lucy frowned.

"I honestly don't know why I'm here," Lucy said, quietly enough so that only Plue, her newest silver celestial spirit, could hear her. Erza looked at her.

"I saw you at the guild yesterday," she said, face softening slightly, "I don't believe I caught your name?"

"It's Lucy," Lucy replied, just relieved she wasn't getting the same side of Erza that she'd seen the likes of Wakaba and Gray get yesterday, "I just joined Fairy Tail. Mira asked me to tag along – she said I might learn something – if that's okay?"

Erza smiled. "The more the merrier. It's always good to get some experience in whenever you can." She turned serious again as people around them started boarding the train. "Okay, let's get on the train and I'll tell you more about why we're all here." With that, she turned to her luggage.

Somehow, the four of them (plus Happy) managed to get Erza's mountain of luggage onto the train and, with a lot of complaining from Natsu, they managed to find a part of the train that was mostly empty. Lucy sat down next to Gray, facing Natsu and Erza (and trying to ignore the tiny feeling of intimidation in the pit of her stomach because _there were two S-Class wizards sitting opposite her_ ). The minute the train started pulling out of the station, Natsu looked vaguely sick.

"Okay, Erza," Gray started, after a few moments of companionable silence, "Want to start filling us in on what's going on?" Erza took a breath.

"Right," she said, nodding. "On my last job, I happened to stop at a tavern to quickly recuperate. And whilst I was there, I overheard a group of wizards talking. Because of this, I have reason to believe that the dark guild Eisenwald is planning something big, possibly to do with something called 'Lullaby'."

"Lullaby?" Natsu asked, frowning immediately. He looked like he recognised the name, and from the look in his eyes, Lucy was pretty sure she didn't want to see whatever it was in action.

"I came across some Eisenwald wizards on my way back to Magnolia a few days ago," Gray added. "They mentioned something called Lullaby then, but something took them before they could say anything else. They seemed terrified of it."

"Possible guild deserters, then. That hardly surprises me with dark guilds," Erza nodded, snorting without humour. "That makes sense with what I've heard, in any case. Have you any idea what this 'Lullaby' could be, Natsu?" she asked, turning to the dragon slayer. Natsu seemed to be controlling his motion sick stomach for a moment before turning to answer her.

"There is one thing it could be," he said, seeming hesitant to reveal any details, if the way he looked pained was any indicator. "But until I get any more information, I don't want to jump to conclusions, and what I'm thinking of… well, it's not a good one."

Erza nodded. "Understandable." She then frowned, matching Natsu's expression nearly perfectly. Lucy would have laughed if the situation wasn't so tense. "What bothers me, however, is if Erigor gets his hands on whatever this Lullaby thing is."

Gray and Natsu's faces immediately darkened, and Lucy's stomach clenched up. If their faces were indicators, she knew that this wasn't a good sign.

"Erigor?" she asked, hesitantly.

"The ace of Eisenwald," Gray answered for Erza, expression icy. "He's a big part of the reason the guild was kicked out of the guild leagues a few years ago. He only takes on assassination requests. That's why he's earned the nickname 'Erigor the Reaper'."

" _He kills for money_?!" Lucy asked, shivering slightly as a cold wind seemed to wash over her. Plue made a noise, trembling on her lap. "I think I want to go home now," Lucy added on, putting as much cheer into her voice as she could. "That's enough experience for me today."

"Ew, Lucy's all slimy," Happy helpfully informed them all. Lucy turned and glared at him.

"It's sweat!" she snapped.

* * *

Author's note: It might seem odd that I ended it there, but I couldn't think of how else to end this part ;-; Honestly I have no idea if this turned out okay or not, so I hope it did *crosses fingers*


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: I know the last chapter was a bit shitty. Hopefully this one is better, because this one isn't a bridge into the Eisenwald/Lullaby arc like the last one was. So. Yeah. Hopefully it's okay *crosses fingers*

* * *

The rest of the train ride was fairly uneventful, with the most interesting things being Lucy's curious questioning about her companions' magic ("Erza's magic is really pretty! It makes her enemies bleed!" Happy had cheerfully informed her). Natsu seemed to be half asleep against the window, ignoring Erza's planning of what to do with Eisenwald when they found them. Gray inwardly snorted. Lucky bastard.

It was when he decided to get up – close to their stop, Erza had warned him menacingly with that dark look in her eyes – to use the bathroom that the interesting things had started to happen. First, he'd somehow lost his clothes on the way there again, and that somehow led to him having to look for them before returning to the others, because gods help him if Erza caught him without them again. It also led to a few awkward glances with some of the passengers, because really, how do you explain to someone that you have a psychological habit of removing clothes?

This then escalated into him missing the stop.

Just his luck. Erza was going to kill him, he thought miserably.

Sinking back into his seat and thinking of various different obituaries that might be said about him once Erza was done, Gray closed his eyes. He usually liked being alone. The solace made it easier for him to think, and the air around him was cooler without the body heat of other people. It suited the ice wizard just fine. However, this time it just filled his mind with clear images of his oncoming doom – mostly images of Erza destroying a mountain in mild annoyance, but still.

"Mind if I take this seat?"

He was broken out of his doom-filled reverie by a voice, and he opened his eyes, glancing over at who dared interrupt his brooding. A man was standing at the compartment doors and, without waiting for an answer, he sat down opposite Gray. Something about this guy irked Gray immediately. He wasn't sure whether it was the ponytail or the fact that he was wearing a white suit, _of all things_ –

"So how's being in a legal guild treatin' ya?"

What.

The question must have shown on Gray's face because the guy laughed, then suddenly kicked at him. How, when he was still sitting down, Gray wasn't sure, but he wasn't about to question it when _his fucking jaw and throat had been caught_. The guy was grinning, a hint of menace there. "What's it like to blindly follow the council's rules, little fairy?" Gray rubbed at his jaw. There was definitely going to be a bruise there later, and he couldn't even do the normal thing of applying ice to it. "Because you know what you all look like to us? _Harmless little flies_."

Like ice being cracked from too much pressure, Gray snapped.

" ** _Ice make: lance_**!"

Immediately, the burst of solid ice pushed distance between himself and the unknown man, who Gray was seriously suspecting to be a dark wizard now, and an annoying one at that. The man smirked at him from the aisle, brushing invisible dust off his clothes.

"Ooh, that hit a nerve," he said, almost conversationally.

Gray growled, low in his throat. He got back into fighting stance, preparing to unleash another lance attack – or possibly the hammer, he hadn't decided. Maybe even scissors just to cut this guy's stupid ponytail off – when he felt his magic power suddenly fizzle out.

"What?" he said aloud, looking around and dropping out of the stance. The other man laughed, and Gray snapped his eyes back to him. So it was his fault.

"What's wrong? Magic not working?" he asked mockingly. "Let me straighten that out." A purple magic circle appeared beneath his feet, and dark tendrils of – something, Gray wasn't quite sure, shot towards him. Upon contact, they flung Gray backwards, sending him flying into another compartment door.

"That magic," he ground out, glaring up at the guy. The magic power from that spell felt dark and disgusting, like the meal that Freed had made for the guild the one time Mira had been away. Before either of them could move, the train suddenly screeched to a halt – Gray glanced out of the window for a second, and saw that they were in the middle of nowhere. No doubt that this was Erza's handiwork.

The train's sudden halt had caused the other man to fall forward, and something clattered to the floor. By instinct, Gray's eyes drifted towards the fallen object, and he frowned again.

"What the hell?" he said, mostly to himself. On the floor was what looked like a flute, except the wood from which it was made looked old and twisted, like a gnarled tree root, and somehow shrivelled. The thing that caught his eye the most was the fact that the skull of the flute had three eyes, toothy smile permanently carved in a pleasantly menacing expression.

"Crap! You saw it!" the man yelled, sounding panicked for the first time.

"Hey, Gray! You gonna stand around in there all day?" a voice shouted from outside the carriage. Gray didn't need to look to know who it was. Trust Natsu to already be there waiting for him. Well, far be it from him to keep flame brain waiting.

" ** _Ice make: floor_**!" he shouted, serrated chunks of ice immediately racing towards the opponent.

" ** _Dark shadows_**!"

The resultant part explosion, part freeze over of the carriage allowed Gray to slip away through an open window whilst the other man was too busy muttering about 'lucky shots' from his new home amongst the rubble. Gray winced at the mess. He was getting as sloppy as Erza or, gods forbid, Natsu on a bad day.

"This isn't over!" he heard over the chaos as he leapt from the window onto solid ground, Natsu watching and listening nearby. "You're dealing with Eisenwald!"

Natsu wandered over, hands in his pockets and looking thoughtful. "So he's with Eisenwald, huh?"

Gray hummed in response, but before he could say anything more, a magic-mobile drew up next to the train, which was now steadily pulling away. The minute it stopped, Erza jumped out of the driver's seat and marched over to him.

"Gray," she began, sounding serious, "I apologise for leaving you on that train. You may strike me in retribution." She even held out her arm in offering, and Gray took a step back, wildly waving his hands.

"No, no, no!" he rushed out, "No need for that." He stopped his wild gesticulating, and took a breath. "You might wanna hear this, though."

It took a few minutes to explain the strange encounter with the Eisenwald wizard on the train, and the strange flute he had, and by the time he was done, Natsu was frowning.

"Three eyed skull, you said?" he asked, and Gray nodded, not liking Natsu's expression at all. Whenever Natsu went into Serious Demon Mode, things were usually pretty bad. Natsu's expression shifted to eerily calm. "Then it's definitely Lullaby, as I suspected. Strange time for him to show up again." He turned and looked at the others. "Two things you should know about Lullaby: one, it's dangerous and lethal. Two, Lullaby is a demon, not a flute."

The four others stared at him.

Natsu blinked back at them.

"I saw a flute," Gray said blandly, remembering the terrifying monstrosity that had been Deliora. "I didn't see a giant monster."

Natsu sighed. "Look, let's just get going and I'll explain things on the way."

* * *

"Right, you said you'd explain," Gray said without preamble, nudging the vaguely green Natsu with his foot. Natsu gave him the _look_ but sat up anyway, still looking sick.

"There are two types of demons," Natsu began, drumming his fingers on his knee and resting his head against the window. Lucy listened with rapt attention. "There are the natural type, who for the most part are pretty benevolent against anything that isn't the moon." The drumming stopped for a second before picking back up. "And there are the demons that Zeref created, bound to the Book of Zeref."

"Who's Zeref?" Gray asked, frowning again.

"Why do I feel like I know that name?" Lucy asked, annoyed with herself for not remembering. She was sure she'd heard that name somewhere before.

"I'd be surprised if you didn't," Natsu said quietly, still drumming. "To put it simply, he's probably the greatest wizard to have ever lived, and the darkest one as well. He created demons from nothing, and the first wave turned out to be abominations. Only Lullaby and Deliora were allowed to survive. Better demons were created after that."

"You still haven't explained why he's a flute," Gray pointed out.

"That's his second form, Gray," Natsu said seriously. "All demons of the Book of Zeref have a second form."

Without warning, the magic-mobile pulled to a sudden halt, and everybody looked towards the front with questioning glances.

"Everybody out!" came Erza's voices, loud and commandeering. "We'll continue this conversation outside."

Natsu shot the front of the magic-mobile a glare as he pushed the door on his side open and all but fell out. Gray smirked, following him with more grace. So it seemed that Erza wanted to join in on the conversation now. Natsu leaned, shakily, against the magic-mobile, looking one step from sitting on the ground itself, and Gray snorted at him.

"Of all the things to incapacitate you," he said slowly, shaking his head. A chill settled over him all of a sudden, and he was suddenly acutely aware of a presence behind him.

"If we could get back on topic," Erza said darkly. She seemed satisfied when Gray nodded quickly, and continued. "You mentioned a second form? What does that mean?" she asked, frowning heavily.

"Zeref's demons each have a second form, which are essentially less powerful versions of their true forms. Lullaby's is a flute because Zeref only created him for one purpose. What that purpose was I will not say," he added in a slightly more menacing tone when Erza opened her mouth. "In any case, we're wasting time standing around here. We need to get going, and that magic-mobile won't get us to the station in time." Natsu stopped in thought, and he sighed after a moment. "Guess it's time for me to give up a secret art."

"What?"

Natsu ignored them and stuck his hands in his pockets, and a dark magic circle appeared underneath them all.

Instantly, large flames appeared around them, towering over them all, and Gray instinctively took a step back, only to find more flames behind him. The flames encased them in a cocoon of warmth, almost too-warm inferno, and Gray felt himself feel dizzy all of a sudden. His head felt disconnected from the rest of his body, his very atoms felt as though they were being displaced. Through it all, everything in him was screaming that this wasn't normal dragon slaying magic, that this was something darker.

And suddenly, it was over. The flames vanished, and Gray breathed in cool air again. Beside him, Erza and Lucy seemed to be going through something similar. That gave him some relief. At least he wasn't the only one feeling shitty. As his head began to clear, Gray noticed that they weren't standing on the edge of the train tracks next to the magic-mobile anymore – rather, they were right outside Oshibana station.

"What the…" he trailed off, staring at the station, then back at Natsu. It was the times like these when Gray actually began to feel nervous around his guild mate. Not that he'd ever admit it, of course.

"What was that?" Lucy asked, seeming to have recovered her voice and staring at Natsu with wide eyes.

"That's what I'd like to know as well," Erza agreed, giving Natsu a dark look and putting her hands on her hips.

"Hell's Gate, a teleportation spell that takes me anywhere I want," Natsu answered absently, looking around. He sniffed the air, and gave satisfied nod. "Eisenwald are in the station already. That was why I used the spell, rather than letting you drive us here. We don't have a lot of time, and we need to kick Eisenwald's ass!" he added with a grin.

Erza looked like she was about to say something, but instead nodded determinedly. "You're right," she said, steeling herself.

That thought in mind, the five of them marched – well, Happy flew, lazy bastard – towards the station, trying to ignore the ominous feeling drifting off it.

* * *

Author's note: So. Yeah. That was that. Let me know how it turned out?


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: New chapter, yay! I hope this is okay, and thank you to everyone who left lovely reviews. They really keep me going :) especially when I have a thousand essays on diseases to write for medical science

* * *

From the moment they stepped through the doors to the building, Natsu was on alert. The air felt thick with anxiety and fear, and the cloying smell of blood lingered around his nose, making him feel sick. He grimaced. That grimace turned into a mask of tranquil fury when they turned a corner and found the bodies of the rune knights, lying before the stairs.

Lucy let out a choked sound at the sight, and Gray growled.

"They never stood a chance against a guild of wizards," Erza said softly, crouching down to examine one of the knights. "Especially dark wizards."

"Are they all…" Lucy asked, trailing off softly at the end. Everyone understood what she was asking, though.

"Not all," Natsu answered her, sounding oddly detached as he looked around the fallen knights, face blank. 'Not all' meant that some had perished in their fight against the dark wizards.

"Come on," Erza said brusquely, already moving forward up the stairs. "We need to find Erigor before he has the chance to use Lullaby."

Breaking into a run, the group of Fairy Tail wizards followed her up the stairs and broke through a pair of double doors at the top, smashing them open with a loud bang. Waiting for them was a large group of wizards, so obviously with a dark guild that they couldn't have made it any more obvious if they had tried. Natsu gagged a bit at the stench rolling off them all. God, hadn't these people learned of personal hygiene? Was it a requirement to lose it when joining a dark guild?

"Looks like we found them," Happy commented cheerfully from the side, hovering just out of reach.

"Shut it, cat," Lucy ground out, sounding out of breath.

"Why are you tired all of a sudden, Lushy?"

"I said _shut it, cat_."

"Well, well, well," came a smug voice from the other side of the room, interrupting Lucy and Happy's squabble. Natsu glanced over and saw a floating man wearing what looked like a dirty sheet, a scythe thrown over his shoulder lazily. "It looks as though the little flies have flown directly into my trap."

"I'd be careful who you're calling a fly whilst you're up there!" Gray threatened in a low voice, removing his jacket. A guy from the crowd, a dark haired one wearing a white jacket, pointed at Gray.

"That's the stripping idiot who attacked me on the train!" he shouted, looking ready to brawl there and then. Natsu ignored them, and his growing headache, in favour of sniffing the air. Filtering through the repugnant odours of the dark wizards in the room, he focused on the familiar earthy smell of Lullaby, snapping onto his location like a tracker. He really did love his enhanced senses sometimes.

"Men!" Erigor shouted, apparently at his wits end with his own guild. Really, Natsu couldn't blame the man. "Eliminate these pesky flies!" Then, like the fly he was, he flew away.

The Eisenwald wizards immediately began to swarm forwards, intent on delivering their boss's wish with great effectiveness. How effective they would actually be, Natsu knew he would never find out, as Erza turned to him and Gray with a fierce look in her eye, a look Natsu knew only too well. "Go and find Erigor! He must be stopped!"

"Right," Gray nodded, immediately taking off towards the doors that led further into the station. Natsu followed him a second later, the shouts of " ** _Requip: Heaven's wheel!_** " growing faint with every step. He heard the shouts through the walls and ground though, and smirked. Unlucky bastards.

* * *

Erza stared at the oncoming Eisenwald wizards calmly, judging the distance between them and herself. Then she narrowed her eyes at them and their lack of grace, their repugnance.

"I will give you all one chance to surrender," she declared, paying no mind to the look that Lucy shot her.

"She must be kidding!" one wizard laughed to his friend. Erza smiled slightly, her eyes going shadowed behind a portion of her hair. Distantly, she heard Happy let out a noise but paid him no mind.

"I was hoping you'd say that," she replied, still calmly watching the advancing wizards. " ** _Requip: Heaven's wheel_**!"

Instantly, she could feel herself change into one of her most used and iconic armours, the one that gave her the name Titania. She felt her abilities change in accordance to her armour, and felt the automatic pull of magic to requip her swords. About seventy swords should be sufficient, she thought.

She came out of the requip phase floating above everyone else, much like Erigor had, except she was wielding multiple weapons of war. She stared down dispassionately at the Eisenwald wizards, who had all suddenly stopped in their advancements and were staring up at her, some of them in recognition and horror.

"I know who that is!" one of them said, pointing at her. "That's Titania Erza, the Queen of the Fairies!"

Erza glared down at him. "Don't you know it's rude to point?" she demanded, her swords pointing more in his direction. The wizard yelped but Erza ignored it. " ** _Circle sword_**!"

The swords flew out in all directions, striking multiple guild wizards and sending them all flying backwards. She heard Lucy exclaim, "Oh wow! She took most of them out with a single hit!" but paid no attention to it. There were rude people to punish.

At some point into the takedown of the guild wizards process, Erza idly noticed that Lucy had summoned one of her spirits as well, and was using it - him? - to great success, it seemed. While her spirit's way of taking down the wizards seemed to be a bit unconventional - Erza had never heard of a method that involved removing the hair of the enemies before, but then she'd only used her swords and intimidation - it had been effective and demoralising, it seemed.

Erza smiled in amusement and satisfaction. She could only hope, now, that Natsu and Gray had managed to track down Erigor.

"How was that for style, baby?" she heard the spirit ask Lucy, and she turned to them.

"Great work as always, Cancer!" Lucy replied enthusiastically, smiling at him and looking at the damage he'd done to the Eisenwald wizards. The shining bald heads spoke for themselves, really.

The giant crab shimmered and disappeared, and Erza walked over to Lucy and Happy. "That was quite impressive," she said. Lucy's face lit up.

"Awesome! Points scored with Erza!" She seemed to be more talking to herself than anyone else.

"That's what you were going for?!" Happy demanded, hovering next to her. Lucy shot him a glare.

"However," Erza continued, as though there hadn't been an interruption. "The way he calls you baby... I find it quite insulting."

Lucy's shoulders slumped. "Points unscored," she said dejectedly.

* * *

When he and Gray split up to find Erigor, Natsu slowed his pace to a jog, mind going a mile a minute as he blasted through wall after wall absent mindedly. With his superior sense of smell, he could tell that Erigor had left the building and was somewhere outside, but Natsu put off actually leaving, instead trying to figure out the motive behind all of this. _Why_ , he thought as he punched a flaming fist through an unbroken wall, ignoring debris going everywhere, _would someone go to such lengths to get Lullaby?_ If it was a demon they wanted, there were more superior demons to choose from than Lullaby.

Natsu snorted. He should know. He'd spent a good majority of his time avoiding one of them. One that cried whenever antique doors got smashed to bits.

It was towards the end of the hall that Natsu became acutely aware that there was someone following him. Slowing to a stop, he reached out with all of his senses, letting them form a picture for him that he couldn't see.

One of the Eisenwald wizards, hidden in the ground through the use of his magic. About five feet behind him. Most definitely hostile. The wizard who dispelled the wards around Lullaby.

"I'm going to give you a small piece of advice, pal," Natsu said casually as he slowed to a stop, using his sense of smell to pinpoint his follower's exact location, honing in on the vague image. Three steps behind him. Natsu smirked, and turned into his next attack, flying fist-first into the ground and sending tendrils of hell fire everywhere. Once the dust and debris cleared, he was left staring at a grounded wizard. It was the same guy who'd been in the main hall part earlier who'd known Gray, his white jacket torn and his face battered and bruised.

Bending down, Natsu hummed as he picked the guy up by the scruff of his jacket, getting a good look at him.

"Never try to sneak up on a wizard who's way out of your league," he said, igniting the fist holding the guy for a second for extra emphasis. "And especially never sneak up on dragons. Igneel would have stomped you to death." The sound of bricks breaking from somewhere in the distance sounded through the walls, and both Natsu and the guy looked in that direction briefly. "So where's Aragog?" he asked the guy, turning back to him.

"Not here," the guy spat back, giving a bloody toothed smirk.

Natsu stared at him for a moment before igniting himself in low burning flames. These were only meant to intimidate. He knew that they made him look like the demon he really was, giving his hair a shadowed horn-like appearance and shadowing his eyes. "Where's Aegon?" he repeated, seeing the guy look significantly more scared than he was a second ago. It was a look he was very familiar with. Everlue had pissed his pants when he'd had the look.

"Heading for Clover Town! He intends to use Lullaby on the guild masters!" the guy said quickly, leaning away from Natsu as far as he could.

Natsu's fairly pleasant mood vanished the moment he heard that, and it was replaced with a low simmering anger, heat low in his chest and stomach.

"Clover, huh?" Natsu said absently, dropping the guy on the floor. He was vaguely aware of the guy scrambling to lean against the wall, to get away from him. From further down the hall, Natsu caught his friends' scents coming his way. He supposed they'd also learned of Eisenwald's plan as well.

"There's a wind barrier around the station though! You can't get out!"

"Watch me," Natsu said darkly as Erza came into view, looking significantly more tired than she had done before he'd left her. Natsu felt a spike of concern for her.

"Erigor's real target is Clover!" Lucy said quickly, eyes wide and hands flapping everywhere, not having noticed the wizard sat on the floor. "But Erigor's trapped us in here with a wind barrier!"

"I know," Natsu said, thinking for a moment. He glared darkly at the Eisenwald wizard he'd been interrogating again, then looked back to his friends. "I'll go and stop Eragon. You guys work on getting out of here."

"Alone?" Gray stepped forward, glaring. "Flame brain, I know you're good, but he has Lullaby which is, according to you, just a giant demon."

"Exactly," Natsu replied coolly, taking a step back from him. "That's why I'm going after him."

With that, Natsu let his portal flames engulf him.

* * *

Meanwhile, somewhere between the towns of Oshibana and Clover, a man wearing what looked suspiciously like a sheet was making his way over the Clover Canyon. He was flying with purpose, although slowly, casual and unhurried, with a smirk on his face.

"I'm so close to the guild masters I can taste it," Erigor remarked to himself. "And what's more, the magic energy I used creating that wind barrier is almost fully recharged!" He let out a laugh. "Now it's time to really get things started." With that, he began to fly slightly more quickly. "You fools not only took away our work, but you robbed us of our rights! And now I'm going to make you pay!

 ** _The Reaper's clenching is nigh_**!"

* * *

Author's note: I couldn't stop myself from having Natsu continuously forget Erigor's name, like he always forgets his enemies or enemies' names. Plus bonus shout-outs to characters from other books I love *confetti* I hope this was okay, so please let me know and all that?


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: I really hope this is okay *crosses fingers*

 **Misasha-x:** it absolutely is Mard Geer

* * *

Erza stared at the spot where Natsu had just been standing, frustration building up inside of her. Her first instinct was to punch someone - namely Natsu himself, but since he wasn't with them, thanks to his vanishing trick that she really, _really_ hated, she punched Gray instead.

"Ow!" he shouted, jumping and rubbing his arm where Erza's armoured fist had landed, glaring at her. "What the hell?"

"Why does he always do this?" Erza asked, glaring at the wall that must have done something to wrong her. In retaliation, she threw her sword at it and it crumbled into dust. "Always taking off without telling anyone what he's doing!"

" ** _So you hit me_**?!"

Erza went back to ignoring him, turning to the Eisenwald wizard, Kageyama, and staring at him furiously. "You broke all the seals on Lullaby!" she said, directing all of her frustration towards him. "Help us escape the wind barrier."

Kageyama gazed back at her and opened his mouth to respond - before he could say anything, though, a hand was plunged through his chest, and an ominous dark red immediately started staining his shirt. Erza, Gray, Lucy and Happy all stood in shocked silence for a moment, minds reeling, until Erza hurried forward.

"Kage, no! Stay with us! We need you!" she shouted, applying pressure to the wound. Glancing up, she saw another wizard from the Eisenwald guild staring at them through the walls, looking ashamed at what he'd done, blood covering his hand.

"Why?!" Lucy shouted, staring at the man in horror, hands clenched at her sides. "He was your friend! How could you do that to one of your friends!" She grabbed one of the keys off her belt and yelled, " ** _Open! Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus_**!"

A gold light flashed, and Erza blinked for a moment. The light vanished, and a huge anthropomorphic bull, wielding a battle-axe, was standing in the room.

"Get him, Taurus!" Lucy shouted, pointing at where the wizard had just disappeared into the wall.

The bull immediately charged forward with a, "You're gonna pay for makin' Miss Looocy mad!"

Erza blinked again, sighed, and resumed her efforts of trying to wake Kageyama up, ignoring Gray's input on how they should actually be trying to wake him up.

* * *

Natsu was standing on the tracks above the ravine on the way to Clover, the smell of smoke fading into the breeze. The wind was blowing in his direction, slightly warm against his face, and he sniffed the air. He grinned. Just as he thought. Erigor was coming this way, on his way to the guild masters' meeting. Natsu was just glad he hadn't misjudged the distance.

Right on cue, someone appeared overhead a few minutes later, flying through the wind with what looked like an overly smug expression on their face. Natsu looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he said to himself. Then shouted, "Oi, Aragorn!"

Erigor stopped mid-air and looked down at Natsu. A snarl curled his lip. "So, one of the Fairy Tail flies escaped my trap," he said, almost condescendingly.

"I'd watch who you're calling a fly whilst you're up there, buddy," Natsu advised, nodding up towards the sky, before getting back on track. "And I'm not letting you get a step further, you dress wearing windbag." Really, anyone who thinks wearing a dirty sheet is acceptable deserves what they get. Which is a lot of flames.

Erigor laughed, the sound mocking and breezy. "You think you can stop me?" He twirled the scythe around lazily.

Natsu smirked up at him lazily.

"I'm going to stop you," he replied, casual and unhurried.

Erigor laughed again, and the wind picked up around them as he raised his hands. "Come and give it your all then, little fly," he jeered, the winds slowly starting to blow faster, more viciously. Natsu stood his ground, unfazed, and set his fists alight with red flames, the tendrils of light dancing to the air that fuelled them.

"Fire?" Erigor snorted, laughing again. "You stand no chance against me, fly! My wind magic will tear you and your puny fire to shreds!"

"Normal fire, perhaps," Natsu agreed, hair blowing around his face as the winds continued to get stronger, almost biting into his skin. If he were more human, perhaps it would be hurting at this point. He suddenly grinned up at his opponent. "But nothing stops dragon fire." He threw his hand out, towards Erigor, and shouted, " ** _Down!_** "

A chain made entirely of red fire shot out of the palm of his hand, flying upwards through the gale-force winds towards Erigor in a flash. The moment it reached the dark wizard, it wrapped itself around his arms. Before Erigor could even say anything, the chain was dragging him back down to the ground, and the winds suddenly stopped.

Erigor stared at Natsu, slightly hunched over from the chains.

"Impossible," he wheezed, sounding breathless from the sudden change in altitude. "You're nothing but a fly!" He coughed again.

"Nah," Natsu replied, glancing over and seeing Lullaby lying on the ground a couple of feet away, looking innocent as anything. He bent down to pick it up, then turned back to Erigor. Allowing some of his more demonic nature to slip into focus, he continued, "Let me tell you something, pal." He grabbed hold of Erigor's tattered robe and pulled the chained wizard close. His voice took on a more menacing tone. "If my family is threatened, then believe me when I say this: **_I am worse than Lullaby a thousand times over_**."

Erigor paled and started shaking. Rolling his eyes, Natsu punched him in the face, knocking him out. He could only take a certain amount of idiotic dark wizards in one day.

He then returned his attention to Lullaby.

"So, Lullaby," he said casually, looking at the flute, "Looking slightly more musical than the last time we met."

 _Master! Master Natsu!_ came a joyous shout in his mind, loud and slightly whiny.

"I never expected for us to meet again like this," Natsu said musingly, looking out over the canyon with contemplation. "But then, I never expected us to meet again." He paused for a moment. "I have to destroy you. It's the only way to make sure you won't hurt my friends, or innocent people."

 _Wait, wait! I have an idea!_

"Oh? I'll hear it, then."

 _If you let me be free, then I'll be your faithful servant!_

Natsu stared at the flute in his hands for a moment before looking back out over the canyon. "And I'd want that… why? How do I know you're not gonna hurt my friends? Or innocents?"

 _I wouldn't hurt them, Master Natsu!_

"Weren't you supposed to be serving Mard Geer?"

There was a grumble of intense dislike from Lullaby, like a wave of acid. _Mard Geer is nowhere near as great as Master Natsu! And Mard Geer cries whenever Jackal destroys an old door. And smashes through walls._

"What about when the next better opportunity comes along? Can I expect the same amount of loyalty that Mard got?"

 _Yes! No! I mean no! I will always be loyal! I will always serve you and always you Master!_

Natsu just sighed and closed his eyes, ignoring Lullaby's inane ramblings. When he opened them, the irises were red, like the colour of freshly spilled blood, and a cool wind seemed to blow around him. "Sorry," he said, his voice slightly lower, slightly more menacing. "As tempting as that is, the safety of my family is more important." He was pretty sure Lullaby was screaming something at him, but Natsu ignored it. " ** _End_**."

Small, black flames encircled the flute and exploded at once, leaving a smokescreen behind. When all of the smoke cleared, Natsu was staring at the empty shell of what used to be Lullaby.

* * *

Speeding towards the bridge on the magic-mobile they'd found at the station, wind whipping through her hair, Erza urged the car to go faster. They'd managed to escape Oshibana station through the use of one of Lucy's celestial spirits, Virgo, in the end. It had only taken Happy ten minutes to remember that Lucy had a spirit that could dig holes.

Erza's eye twitched at the recollection, but she refrained from saying anything, and her thoughts returned to Natsu and her earlier irritation of him.

It wasn't that she didn't think he wasn't capable. He was an S-Class wizard, just as she was. Natsu was like Gildarts in some respects, though, in that he liked to run off without telling anyone else where he was going or what he was doing (and that he could be very destructive if he wasn't paying attention). It had made for a very frustrating time in the guild when they were all children.

A trail of smoke became visible, and Erza heard Happy shout above them, "I think I can see them!"

Determinedly, Erza sped up, not caring for the continuous drain on her magic power, or for the tiredness she could feel creeping into her bones from the combination of fighting and driving the magic-mobile.

Sure enough, within a few minutes, they were pulling up to a slightly smoking part of the bridge. Natsu got up from his seated position, next to an unconscious Erigor, and waved cheerfully.

"Hey guys!" he yelled, waving and grinning away like an idiot.

Erza looked around, inspecting their surroundings as Lucy, Gray and an injured Kageyama exited the back of the car. "No damage," she said in mild surprise, turning back to Natsu. "Colour me impressed." Natsu grinned at her again. "Where's Lullaby?"

"Lullaby won't be causing anymore trouble. I've seen to that," Natsu replied airily, shrugging out invisible kinks in his shoulders.

"Have you destroyed it?" Lucy asked. Kageyama looked panicked at the thought, then winced at the pain it caused.

"It's gone," Natsu nodded. Almost immediately, Erza felt a weight lift from her shoulders for the first time in days, ever since she'd caught wind of Eisenwald's plans. This nightmare was over. No one would die by Lullaby's song, not now and not ever.

"I suppose we should tell Gramps?" Gray suggested, shrugging. Somehow, he'd lost his shirt again. Erza felt her eye twitch.

"Or we could go home and wait for him to come back," Lucy piped up, sounding eager to get back to Magnolia and away from the madness of the last few days. Erza didn't blame her, but they still needed to debrief.

"Gray, dress yourself," she said sternly, causing Gray to jump, "But I agree. We should tell the Master what has happened."

"What do we do about him?" Gray asked, nodding down at the unconscious Erigor, looking puzzled at the fire chain wrapped around his wrists.

"He'll be fine there," Natsu answered airily, shrugging lightly. "He can't go anywhere."

Everyone sweatdropped a bit at that, but said nothing. It was Natsu, after all.

* * *

"Hmm," Makarov said, taking a sip of his beer and staring at the five in front of them intently, as he had been doing ever since they had started talking, "It sounds like you kids have had quite the day." He paused to take another drink. "You've taken down Eisenwald, removed the threat of Lullaby – and without destroying a town, no less! So no paperwork or complaints for me to deal with!" He added the last part with exaggerated tears of joy. Erza watched him dispassionately.

Around them, the other guild masters murmured their surprise at that as well. Erza's eye twitched. So, the guild masters thought that they were incapable of holding back, did they? She'd teach them all a lesson about holding back that they'd never forget, see how they like it then. She felt the itching need to requip into an armour that would do just nicely for the occasion -

"Your guild has grown so strong and cute," Master Bob gushed, having floated over to Natsu and Gray during their recollection of the events surrounding Eisenwald.

"Can we have some of them?" came a sullen voice from the back. Lucy looked a little horrified and took a step in the opposite direction of the disembodied voice.

"Not on your life!" Makarov laughed, smugness written all over it. "These kids are mine, you know!"

"Aw, thanks Gramps!" Natsu said happily. He'd somehow managed to worm his way out of Master Bob's embrace, leaving Gray all alone to deal with the rather eccentric guild master. Erza didn't envy him one bit. She was just glad _he_ wasn't here. The thought of it made her shudder and look around compulsively.

"The Rune Knights have probably apprehended Eisenwald by now," Makarov continued, idly stroking his moustache. "And if there is nothing further to discuss, fellow guild masters?" A murmuring of agreement from the other masters, and Makarov smiled. "Let's be off, then. I'd rather avoid the council."

Lucy raised a hand, looking slightly awkward. "There aren't any trains running to Clover, though," she pointed out. She then let out a noise of surprise as Natsu slung an arm over her shoulders.

"Don't worry about it," he said eagerly. Far too eagerly, Erza thought. She was well aware of his penchant for avoiding moving transportation. "I've got us covered."

"You don't mean…" Gray trailed off, looking vaguely sick at the thought. He'd managed to extract himself from Master Bob's hug as well, now. Erza's stomach clenched at the thought of Natsu's choice of transportation again.

The words had barely even left his mouth when the same magic circle from before appeared beneath all of their feet. Makarov didn't even have the time to question Natsu on what it was before the large flames enveloped them in their warm cocoon again. Erza winced in discomfort as she felt the sensation of displacement across her body, her head feeling light for a moment. The flames dissipated a second later, leaving cool air behind. Erza looked around, breathing heavily, and saw that they were outside the guild hall doors.

Back home. Back in Magnolia.

Erza let out a sigh, relief flooding through her like a wave. Things were finally starting to look normal again.

* * *

Author's note: So, that's the Lullaby arc nicely wrapped up. At least, I hope it was nicely wrapped up. I figured that with Natsu/E.N.D being Zeref's bro/strongest demon, he'd also have the power to terminate other demons. Anyway, please let me know if it was okay?


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've had so many assignments to do lately. Technically I'm supposed to be doing an assignment right now, but I decided 'fuck that shit' and I did this instead. This is like a break chapter, if that makes sense, for between the Lullaby arc and the start of the Deliora arc. It's an original story/one-shot chapter, so I hope you don't mind that. Really hope it's okay!

* * *

It was a strange feeling, Lucy thought as she wandered into the guild a few days following the Lullaby scare, knowing that a crisis had been averted. According to Erza and the Master, the Eisenwald wizards at the Oshibana station had all been rounded up by the Rune Knights, and all the injured soldiers that had been wounded fighting them before they'd shown up had been seen to. And, according to Natsu, Erigor had been taken into custody, whimpering about some sort of demon.

"I think I broke him," Natsu had frowned, messing with his scarf absently. "I didn't even do anything to him."

"You showing up is more than enough to terrify someone," Gray had then pointed out snidely. Natsu responded by punching him into a wall, leaving a Gray-shaped crater.

And then there was the Master.

"There have been minimal damage expenses!" the Master had gleefully informed them all, nearly in tears of joy. " _And the council isn't even angry with me!_ " That was when the tears started.

So Lucy supposed it was a nice happy ending for what was a terrifying first experience at a guild, but she still wanted to take on a job. Just – a job that wouldn't involve a demon or a dark wizard guild trying to kill everyone. With a sigh, she glanced over at the request board.

There were wizards milling around it. Nab, a taller wizard, always seemed to be there. She dimly remembered Erza scolding him for never picking a job. A blue haired girl was also there with two guys, and a purple haired girl standing off to the side. With a low hum and a small smile at Mira's inquisitive look, Lucy got up and walked over to the request board, standing in front of it and looking over the various jobs available. Since she'd managed to find a place to live in Magnolia now – a nice little apartment near the shopping district at only seventy thousand jewels a month – she had rent to pay now.

Just the thought of it made her want to cry. She sort of understood how the Master felt now.

"Let's see," she murmured to herself, glancing over the jobs. "Monster hunting, definitely not. Taking out a dark wizard guild… Translating an ancient scripture…"

"Hey Lushy."

Lucy nearly screamed at the sudden voice in her ear, and she turned mid-jump. Happy was sitting on top of Natsu's hair, eating a fish and looking quite content with himself for scaring her. Lucy glared at him. Stupid cat. Natsu grinned at her and waved cheerfully.

"Hey Lucy," he greeted, apparently not caring about the evil ball of fur in his hair. Maybe Happy was the true demon of the guild. "Whatcha doing?"

Well, if he was going to ignore Happy, then she would, as well. "I need a job," she replied, looking back up at the requests with a frown. "I have my rent to pay soon, but I don't think I can handle anything like Eisenwald again yet."

"No problem!" Natsu grinned, and he produced a piece of paper seemingly from thin air, holding it in front of Lucy's face.

"What?" Lucy plucked it from Natsu's hand and looked it over. "A job request for a delivery… reward is a hundred thousand jewels?! For just a delivery?!"

"That should be enough to cover your rent, right?" Natsu asked, slinging an arm around her shoulder. Lucy didn't attempt to shrug him off – she'd given up on that after the fifth time he'd done it. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go! Right, Happy?"

"Aye, sir!" the blue cat responded enthusiastically.

"Right!" Lucy smiled, then her expression froze as what they just said sunk in. "Wait a minute. What do you mean _**we**_?!"

"We're a team now, of course!"

Lucy blinked. Of course? When had that happened? Yeah, she had been on the job with Natsu, Gray and Erza to stop Eisenwald and Lullaby, but she had assumed that was a one-time deal, something for her to gain some extra experience. A terrifying way for her to gain experience, as ways involving Zeref's demons often were, but experience nonetheless. She shifted uncomfortably under Natsu's unrelenting smile.

"Are you sure you want to be on a team with me?" she asked self-consciously, unable to stop fidgeting. "You're an S-Class wizard. Surely you'd be better with someone like Erza on your team." She left out mentioning the demonic part – she'd noticed that he seemed to rarely actually use that part of himself. Compared to the likes of Lullaby, Natsu was the complete opposite of 'demon'.

"Aye, Lushy!" Happy chimed in, done with his fish, fluttering down from his perch on Natsu's hair to Lucy's free shoulder. "Erza's really scary and you're really nice."

"And other people are always trying to fight me all the time for some reason," Natsu added, looking simultaneously annoyed and confused. "Especially the stripper." His expression immediately brightened again, and he smiled at Lucy again. "So what do you say?"

"If you're really sure… okay!"

Lucy watched as Natsu wandered over to the bar and talked with Mira, showing her the request and grinning away as he gestured over to Lucy and Happy. Suddenly, a shadow was cast over the guild, and the room temperature seemed to drop by a few degrees.

"Natsu."

Erza was standing in the doorway, regarding him with a cool expression, hands on her hips. Natsu turned to look at her, confusedly. Erza drew her sword and pointed at him. "I wish to fight you again."

Immediately, the guild began to murmur amongst themselves. Lucy saw Max, the sand wizard, and the purple haired girl, Laki, sitting together in the corner and furiously whispering together. She was about eighty percent sure people were taking bets, and most of those bets seemed to be in Natsu's favour.

"What the hell is Erza thinking?" came Gray's voice from over Lucy's shoulder. Lucy glanced over and wasn't even surprised to find him standing next to her, watching the confrontation. "You'd think after what happened last time, she'd have a bit more sense."

" _Would you put some clothes on_?!" Lucy snapped at him, before calming down and asking, "What happened last time?"

"Erza challenged Natsu to a fight when they were younger and she lost pretty badly," Happy answered for Gray, appearing to have settled himself down on Lucy's shoulder.

"She's gotten stronger since then, though," Elfman defended, appearing from nowhere and startling Lucy. "She's a real man!"

"Yeah, but so's Natsu," Cana reminded him, rolling her eyes and chugging on her barrel of wine.

"Why do people always want to fight me?" Natsu wondered aloud, looking over at Mira. Mira just offered an apologetic smile and a shrug.

" _ **Requip**_!" A glow surrounded Erza, like the one that had been around her in Oshibana station when she and Lucy had been taking out the Eisenwald wizards. When the glow died away, Erza was standing in dark red and orange armour, holding a giant dark red sword. Her face was set like steel, and when she charged forward Lucy nearly leapt five feet in the air.

Before the sword could connect with Natsu, he was gone, leaving only sparks in the air and the smell of burning trees behind, like the remains of a fire. In that very same second, he'd reappeared behind Erza, arms behind his head. "Flame Empress Armour. Nice," he complimented, grinning at her. Erza's eye twitched as she spun around to face him again.

"That amour will cut normal fire attacks in half by fifty percent," Gray said to Lucy. "Makes them less destructive."

"Why won't you take me seriously, Natsu?" Erza demanded, running at him again and slashing at his torso. Natsu vanished again, in the same manner as before, and appeared a few feet away to the side. Erza spun around again, looking frustrated and all pretence at calmness gone. "Why won't you let me fight you?!"

Natsu's eyes darkened, and Lucy shivered slightly as she took in his colder expression. It was like she was looking at an entirely different part of his personality altogether. "Because the last time we did, you ended up really hurt because of me," he replied, as though the words pained him. Erza charged towards him again, and Natsu made no move to stop her. As the blade descended again, Natsu calmly held out a hand again, and as the sword passed by it, the metal shattered, much like Gray's ice make projectile had on Lucy's first day in the guild.

Lucy really hoped no one heard the tiny screeching noise she made in the back of her throat.

After a moment – Natsu and Erza had a brief, private conversation – Natsu turned to Lucy, grin firmly back in place, and said, "Ready, Lucy?"

Lucy could only nod, mystified.

* * *

The client that they were meeting lived in a small, non-descript town that wouldn't have looked out of place in some sort of fairy tale. It had taken only a couple of hours to reach the town by train – at Lucy's insistence, because there was no way she was using the demonic teleportation spell unless she really had to. This had led to a lot of protests from Natsu.

The client himself was the mayor of the town, and as such lived in the biggest, fanciest house possible. Lucy had seen fancier houses in her time, but she was still a bit struck on how people could spent their money on exterior design so much. Outside the giant mansion were rows and rows of hedges, cut to resemble people and animals, and a fountain with lime lights on it in the middle of all of that. Walking cautiously through the front garden, Lucy, Natsu and Happy were immediately greeted by the mayor's butler, and welcomed inside.

Actually sitting in a giant sitting room, waiting for the mayor to arrive, was just awkward.

"I see you responded to my request," came a voice, and Lucy startled again. She scowled mentally, vowing to train herself not to do that. "I thank you, Fairy Tail wizards."

"No problem," Natsu grinned, leaning back against the cushions.

"I am Schmorgen Heckengard, the mayor of this town," the mayor – Heckengard – continued, placing his hands together. "As you know, the request was for delivering a package." He picked up a package that was seated next to him, wrapped neatly in brown paper. Lucy wondered how the man managed to do something as mundane as picking up a package with a flourish. "I would like you to deliver this to someone called Lindsay. She lives just outside Clover Town."

"What's in it?" Happy asked interestedly. Lucy shot him a glare and shoved him with her elbow.

"Nothing that concerns you," Heckengard responded testily. Natsu, Lucy and Happy all nodded, and Heckengard carefully handed over the package to Lucy, casting a look at Happy when he put a paw on the wrapping. Then he was getting up from his seat and turning towards one of the giant windows in the room, as though he was eager to be rid of their company. "Yuki will show you all out."

As though summoned like a celestial spirit, the butler that had shown them into the house led them to the door, wished them all 'good day, sirs and lady' and quite literally shut the door in their face.

Lucy blinked.

Well, that was a different experience to anything she'd had before, including demons and dark wizard guilds. It seemed that Heckengard and his staff were nothing if not brutally efficient, in any case. She heard what sounded suspiciously like a sniffing noise, and she glanced over to her left. Natsu was leaning in close to the package, sniffing around it with a look of intense concentration.

"What the hell?!" Lucy demanded shrilly, yanking the package away from Natsu's prying nose and holding it a safe distance away from him. Natsu shrugged.

"I was just trying to see what was in it," he replied, sounding unashamed. Lucy could only stare. Natsu turned away from her, beginning to walk in a random direction with his arms crossed casually behind his head. Happy floated down onto one of his shoulders. "Anyway, Clover isn't that far from here. About six hours to walk there."

"Wait, what?" Lucy asked, quickly walking after him and glaring at him. She only became more annoyed when she realised that he wasn't bothered by the glares. "Six hours to _walk there_?! Why are we walking there?!"

"There's no trains out here." Natsu shot a grin over his shoulder at her, seeing her unamused expression. "And it's either this or I teleport us there, which I won't say no to, either."

" _Absolutely not_!"

Natsu shrugged. "Have it your way, Loopy."

Lucy glared at his back. "It's Lucy," she ground out, thinking of all the different ways to get him back for this. Maybe Mira and Erza would be up for helping her.

"I know."

* * *

As much as Lucy really hated to admit it – and she really, really did – the few hours passed relatively quickly. The three of them wandered along the lonely road, nearly hidden amidst towering trees, talking and occasionally stopping for food breaks. How Natsu and Happy could continually eat the way they did, Lucy had no idea. She had to admit, though, it _was_ sort of nice, just to be able to walk and take in the fresh air for once, without the crowds of the city.

That didn't change the fact that Lucy wished that they'd taken the train. At least on the train, she wouldn't be finding random leaves in her hair, or have insects flying in her face every few minutes. Natsu didn't even feel sorry for her. He just laughed and carried on like it was nothing like the demon he was.

"How much further is it?" Lucy asked, brushing another fly off her arm miserably. The package was stowed safely in her bag, since she didn't trust either of her two idiotic travelling companions to carry it safely to Clover.

"Not long," Natsu replied shortly, sounding like he was beginning to get annoyed with Lucy's questioning. He sniffed the air, tilting his head slightly. "We'll be there before dark."

"And we'll be there in time for dinner!" Happy cheered, raising a paw in the air. Lucy's eye twitched – it had been doing that a lot during this trip. Instead of letting the air lapse into silence, Lucy reluctantly quickened her pace and stepped up beside Natsu, glancing over at him as they walked.

"How come you hate trains so much, anyway?" she asked, unable to hide her curiosity. He obviously hated them enough that he'd rather walk all day to get to another town…

Natsu glanced at her. "We don't agree with each other," he shrugged, like it was nothing.

"He has motion sickness," Happy snickered from Natsu's shoulder, paw over his mouth. Lucy flicked her eyes back to Natsu.

"Really?" she couldn't help but ask, trying to imagine Natsu – the very much a demon Natsu – as having motion sickness. Natsu didn't look happy that Happy had revealed that.

"Only a bit," he muttered, a bit petulantly.

"You threw up all over me the last time we went up on a boat!" Happy cried, leaping into the air with his wings extended, just to point an accusing paw at Natsu.

"You shouldn't have been in my way, then!" Natsu snapped back, hands on his hips and eyes narrowed.

"And I'm sure it was the sea's fault for being there," Happy said, rolling his eyes. He turned to Lucy, paws in the air. "It was _terrible_ , Lucy!"

Before Natsu could reply, most likely to reprimand Happy or glare at him, there was a rustling sound from one of the many bushes that lined the side of the road. Natsu immediately snapped to attention, back straightening up and eyes flicking around. It was almost intimidating how quickly he switched from bickering moron to attentiveness in a split second, Lucy thought.

Natsu unexpectedly grinned slightly, and he said, "We've got some fans, Lucy."

Lucy whirled around. "What?!"

Before Natsu could explain what he meant, the bushes exploded. Quite literally, the bushes exploded into fire and ashes, revealing a group of six men and two women, staring at the three of them with manic grins. Lucy noticed that a few of them were carrying rifles, similar to what she'd seen Bisca and Alzack use.

"Bandits," Natsu said by way of explanation, his fists lighting up and casting eerie shadows across his face. The flickering made his grin dance with shadowy demons. "Some may not be able to use magic, but weapons are still deadly."

"Look what we've got here, boys," one of the females spoke up, her voice slightly muffled by the mask she wore across her nose and mouth. Her brown hair was braided carelessly across her head, and multiple streaks of dirt were visible across her face. "A couple of wizards, it seems."

A man who looked like he was closely related to a wheel laughed loudly. "What's a couple puny wizards gon' do to us, boss?" He cocked his rifle and aimed it in Natsu and Lucy's general direction. "We got these!"

The woman laughed harshly. "Take 'em out!"

Natsu grinned again, laughing under his breath. "Let's teach them a lesson, Lucy," he said, looking at her for a second. That one look was all the encouragement she needed. Any doubt she'd been feeling ebbed away, and steel determination set in.

As Natsu practically flew at half of the bandits by himself, Happy not far behind him wielding a fish as a weapon, Lucy whipped out the key for the first spirit that came to mind.

" _ **Open! Gate of the maiden: Virgo!**_ " she shouted, shielding her eyes from the brief golden light. When the light faded, a girl with lilac hair and wearing a maid's uniform was standing there, looking very impassive.

"Hello, Princess," Virgo greeted, face not changing in the slightest. "How may I serve you?" She tilted her head slightly. "Is it punishment time?"

"What? No!" Lucy immediately protested, waving her hands frantically. "Just, go and take them out – please!"

Virgo nodded. "As you wish, Princess," she replied, digging into the ground at lightning speed. A second later, she'd dug her way up into the fray and started taking out the rest of the bandits with Natsu, and Lucy let herself smile. She turned towards Natsu, seeing him still playing around with the other bandits, for a lack of a better word.

" _ **Sparks**_ ," Natsu said lazily, and tiny red and orange flares appeared around two of the bandits, exploding a second later. They shrieked when they were launched into the air, landing several feet back from the fray, looking like they were too sore to get up again. Another bandit, the female that had been in charge, attempted to fire off her rifle at him, but another well-placed fire attack neutralised that quickly.

Before the attack had even started, it was over, and Lucy was staring at a pile of knocked out bandits. Natsu turned to her, grin widening and nearly clapping in glee.

"I knew there was a reason why you're on our team!" he declared happily, throwing an arm around Lucy's shoulders and pulling her close for a brief second. "All the fun things happen when you're around, and that was fun!" Lucy didn't really know what to say to that, because only _Natsu_ would find fighting bandits fun.

Well, him, Gray and Erza, she amended.

Natsu stared at the bandits' weapons for a long moment, expression considering, then stepped forward. He touched the pile, and the second his finger made contact with the one closest to him, all of them shattered into dust.

"That sorts out confiscating their weapons," he explained cheerfully, hands going up behind his head and fingers locking together, as though he was talking about the weather.

"Will there be punishments now, Princess?" Virgo asked, and Lucy scowled, turning to her celestial spirit.

"No," she ground out, ignoring Happy's sniggering. "Just go back, please."

"As you wish," Virgo replied, bowing. Her golden light surrounded her, and a second later, she was gone, signalling that she'd returned to the celestial spirit world. Natsu let out a delighted laugh.

"Man, Birdo's awesome!"

* * *

The slightest hint of dusk was just starting to set in by the time they reached Clover. After hours of walking and a brief break in the form of fighting bandits, Lucy had never been so happy to see the town of Clover. They paused on the outskirts, considering where to go next.

"Where did that weird guy say we can find the person?" Natsu asked, looking around expectantly.

"Somewhere outside town, apparently," Lucy replied, looking around as well. So far, there was no one around but them. With a shrug at each other, they began to look around, looking for this mysterious 'Lindsay' that they'd been sent to deliver the package to. Lucy honestly just wanted to get rid of it – having been walking with it for hours had made her hate it quite a lot.

Their target, so to speak, ended up being on the other side of town, just outside it, and underneath a large tree. The person, Lindsay, had looked startled when a group of wizards had wandered over to her, looking exhausted and relived to have found her.

"Are you Lindsay?" Lucy asked, desperately hoping that the girl was. Hesitantly, the girl nodded, eyeing them warily and preparing to call her pets if she needed to.

"THANK GOD," Natsu yelled loudly, immediately collapsing to the ground in obvious relief. Lucy jumped and glared down at him.

" _Seriously_!?" she demanded, before turning back to Lindsay with a smile. Lindsay was watching them with a startled expression, apparently not knowing what to think of them. Lucy couldn't blame her, in all honesty. "We were sent here to deliver this to you." She reached into her bag and pulled out the package, handing it over to the red-headed girl.

Immediately, Lindsay's eyes lit up in delight, and she hugged the package to her chest as though it was the most precious thing in the world.

"Oh!" she said, grinning widely at them, eyes bright. "Thank you so much! Dad said he would be sending me more cat food soon! It's nice to have it now!"

"Wait a minute," Natsu said slowly, raising his head off the ground to look at Lindsay, where she was still hugging the package like a newborn child. "Cat food?"

"Ew," Happy said helpfully, wrinkling his nose and flying away from the package.

"Do you mean to tell me," Lucy said slowly, staring at the package – which she now knew was full of cat food, "That I have just walked all day, been covered in flies and leaves _all day_ – just to deliver _cat food_?!" The last part of the sentence came out as a near-shriek, and Natsu and Happy covered their ears.

"Lucy's angry," Happy whispered.

Natsu just nodded, already thinking of ways to use his teleportation spell to get back to Magnolia on the way back with the angry Lucy.

* * *

Author's note: Okay, so, I hope this was okay. Like I said, original story chapter for the break between arcs. Just a little dumb thing. Also a longer chapter for the negligence of the past month, because we all hate assignments. At least Hetalia kept me sane.

Schmorgen Heckengard is the made up name for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister) from the RT Podcast, by the way.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: so I'm back to the normal storyline now. Last chapter was just a one-off as a break between arcs. Hopefully, that was okay, and this will be okay *crosses fingers*

* * *

A month on after her first exciting job after she'd joined Fairy Tail – and after taking the job to deliver cat food to Lindsay with Natsu – Lucy found herself in the guild hall one morning. Slumped over at the bar with a glass of water, she watched as the members of her guild scurried about their business, talking amongst themselves or shouting across the building, because shouting was apparently easier than walking over and saying it to the other person.

"I don't know what to do!" she sighed sullenly, laying her head on the cool wooden bar. "Rent is due next week and I really should find work, but with Erza out of town and Natsu nowhere around…"

She trailed off in thought miserably. Ever since the incident with Eisenwald and Lullaby – the exact details of its 'goneness' had never been revealed to them – she, Natsu, Gray and Erza had naturally gravitated towards each other. More often than not, they would all take on a job together – along with Happy, of course. Lucy still had nightmares about the theatrical performance job, and she was pretty sure that Erza had stolen props from the stage. Why, no one wanted to know.

"Is something the matter, Lu?" came a voice from her right. Lucy moved her head just enough to be able to see through her hair.

Sitting beside her, bright eyed and smiling as always, was Levy McGarden. Lucy had met her about a week after she'd become a guild member, and she'd immediately been drawn to Levy's bubbling happiness, her ever-present love for books that rivalled Lucy's. Apparently, she had been on a job with Natsu right before Lucy had met him in Hargeon. Levy had also been promised rights to be first person to read her novel, once it was finished.

"I need rent money," Lucy whimpered, a bit of her soul leaving her body at the thought of parting with that amount of money.

Levy laughed sympathetically. "I know how you feel," she replied, running a hand through her shockingly blue hair. "I'm looking for a job myself for Team Shadow Gear to take." She nodded over to a table on the other side of the guild hall where her team mates, Jet and Droy, were sitting. "Why don't you take a job with Natsu?" She smiled. "I thought that was what you guys did."

"I haven't seen him all day," Lucy said dejectedly. A second later, her brain coined the last thing Levy said. "And what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, trying to subtly glare whilst not actually glaring.

"Nothing, nothing!" Levy laughed again, waving her hands innocently. Lucy settled back down, watching her. "He might be on the second floor then."

Lucy just sighed again, leaning her forehead on the bar counter again. In the past month, she'd learned a few things about Fairy Tail and its members. The first, and most prevalent, being that the majority of her guild mates were just a little bit insane. The guild was also under the constant threat of breaking out into a brawl at any given moment.

Like that very moment, for instance.

Something smashed against the bar, and Lucy shot upright with a screech. She nearly toppled off her barstool in the process, and did a great impression of Happy whilst trying to keep her balance.

" ** _MANLY ATTACK_**!" came Elfman's voice, and both Lucy and Levy looked around at the guildhall. Elfman was facing Gray, arm transformed into stone.

"I don't see you doing any attacking, big guy," Gray taunted, swiftly dodging Elfman's punch. " ** _Ice make: hammer_**!"

Unfortunately, Elfman dodged at the last moment, and the ice hammer ended up sending Max into the ground. As the hammer broke apart, Max got up, looking furious that he'd been dragged into this.

" ** _Sandstorm_**!" he shouted. Immediately, a barrage of sand went whirling towards Gray, whipping up stray papers in its path. While Max's sandstorm revenge did, in fact, get Gray, it had also gotten Cana in its grip.

"Why can't I ever drink in peace at this guild?!" she demanded angrily, whirling around in her seat and throwing her glass in Max's general direction. Which ended up hitting Laki. Soon, Lucy was watching another all-out brawl, complete with flying furniture, magic and Gray's clothes being removed.

"Oh dear, they're at it again," Mira said cheerfully, appearing out of nowhere behind the bar.

"Why does this always happen?" Lucy asked miserably, ducking to the side to avoid a table leg flying at her.

"We wouldn't be Fairy Tail without our brawls," Levy pointed out, a fond smile in place. She looked like she was going to expand on the point, but at that moment, she ended up being caught in the crossfire between one of Gray's ice makes and Laki's strange wood makes. Levy blinked, then storm clouds immediately gathered around her face. " ** _Solid script: drill_**!" she shouted, pointing at the fray. Lucy could only watch as a giant drill formed out of Levy's words and made its way through the brawling wizards.

There was another smash at the other side of the hall, and the sound of something softer falling to the ground. Immediately, Lucy felt as though the air in the room had suddenly become colder. She slowly turned to look towards that side, and saw Erza slowly getting up. On the ground beside her was a piece of smashed strawberry cake.

 _Oh no_.

"When will you all learn to _grow up_?!" Erza shouted, and she quickly requipped into one of her various armours. Lucy could only watch as she practically _flew_ into the fray of fighting wizards, swords out and shining.

Just as it seemed that they would have no furniture left, or walls or doors, Lucy saw two figures appear on the balcony of the second floor. One taller than the other, they simply watched for a moment, before the taller shouted, " **SHUT IT! I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF THINK!** " A growl of thunder and a flicker of lightning accompanied the statement, and it was like a switch had been flipped. Everyone in the guild froze, turning to stare up.

A beat, then: "Geez, overkill much?" Natsu laughed, hands on the railing. Even from this distance, Lucy could see Laxus roll his eyes.

"Come on idiot, we need to get going," he replied, sounding exasperated and so very done with his day already. And it wasn't even lunchtime yet. That had to be a new record, Lucy thought.

Natsu fist pumped. "Aw yeah, Team Lightning Flame is back in action! Come on, Happy!"

"Aye, sir!"

Ignoring him, Laxus disappeared in a flash of lightning, leaving the faint roll of thunder behind. Natsu and Happy followed suit, vanishing in a puff of flames and leaving the faint smell of burnt wood behind. Lucy heard the sound of knuckles being cracked to her side, and she looked over. Gray was staring up at the spot, looking annoyed.

"Why does he always have all the fun?" he muttered, crossing his arms. Apparently, he hadn't noticed that he was missing all of his clothes. Including his underwear this time. "Fire breathing moron."

"I guess I won't be going on a job today, then," Lucy said dejectedly, slumping against the bar. She could feel her willpower leaving her the longer she stayed here.

A glint entered Gray's eye, and Lucy was suddenly worried. "I have an idea." He turned to Lucy, ignoring her squawk, and said in a low tone, "See the second floor?" When Lucy nodded, he continued, "There's a request board up there. Jobs that pay more. Wanna go on one with me?"

"But only S-Class wizards are allowed on those ones!" Lucy hissed out, hoping no one was around to hear their conversation. Her eyes darted around to make sure, even so.

That was another thing she'd learned about the guild in her first month of being a member. Only S-Class wizards were allowed on the second floor of the guild hall, and there were only a handful of wizards who were qualified as such, Natsu being one of them. Those wizards also took on jobs that were more difficult than the jobs on the request board.

"So we'll steal one," Gray grinned, leaning on the bar far too casually for the nature of the discussion. "And we'll show flames for brains up when we complete it."

"Okay," Lucy said, finally managing to find her voice. She pushed herself away from the bar and stood up, her bones protesting momentarily at the change. "I'm just gonna go home."

* * *

She was halfway home, humming to herself and absent-mindedly checking things off her mental list of things to do when she heard two voices calling her. Turning around, she found Gray chasing after her, accompanied by Elfman for some reason. In his hand was a piece of paper. Paper that looked suspiciously like a job request…

"You didn't," Lucy groaned, feeling a headache coming on. To think she'd thought she could avoid a headache today, what with Natsu being gone and leaving her to do nothing.

Gray smirked, jacket gone in a flash once again.

"Elfman's already said he'll come along as well," he said, nodding at their guild mate. "And the job's really highly paying. We get to go to an island…" He trailed off, waving the paper in what seemed to be a tantalising attempt.

Lucy waved her hands frantically. "No!" she said firmly, lowering her hands after a second and putting them on her hips. "I'm not getting in trouble with you for this!"

"Not even for the additional reward?"

Okay, Lucy was curious. "Additional reward?"

"A golden zodiac key. Those are rare, right?"

By the way Gray was smirking and holding the job request out to her, Lucy knew that he knew he had her. How could she turn down the chance to get a golden key?

"What if we run into Natsu and Laxus?" she asked, trying once more to be strong and not give in, although that was quickly crumbling at the prospect of the golden key.

Gray just laughed. " _Please_. We're going to an island. What are the chances that we'd run into those two idiots there?"

* * *

" ** _Lightning dragon's chains_**!"

" ** _Fire dragon's retribution_**!"

The two powerful attacks combined on the charging monster, great chains made of quivering electricity merging with a fiery blast that shook the ground for miles around. The monster turned, and Natsu darted out of the way, disappearing in a flash of flames as it charged towards him. He reappeared behind it, grinning away.

"Man, I haven't been able to relax like this for a while," he remarked idly, watching Laxus shoot the creature with more lightning bolts.

The creature they were trying to subdue was a wyvern, a distant relative of the dragons. While the wyverns were smaller than their more draconic counterparts, they had also lost nearly everything that made them dragons, from their intelligence to their sense of pride – in Natsu's opinion, anyway. He remembered the stories that Igneel would tell him about when the wyverns first appeared, born of dragons twisted from the experiments of dark wizards. Unfortunately, whilst wyverns weren't particularly intelligent, they were thick skinned, in the most literal way possible.

"Thanks for coming with me," he added, quickly throwing a " ** _Fire dragon's iron fist_**!" at the wyvern when it looked his way again.

"No problem," Laxus grunted, his attention half on eliminating their target. He raised his hands and a barrage of lightning poured down from the skies, flashing bright yellow and white and crackling. " ** _Lightning dragon's roar_**!"

" ** _Fire dragon's shattering flame_**." A burst of bright red flames shot up from the ground towards the wyvern, burning everything in its path. As soon as it touched the creature, after the barrage of their other magical attacks, it seemed to weaken to the point where one more attack would finally end their battle against it. Natsu raised a hand. " ** _Banish_**." Small, sparkle-like flames appeared around the wyvern and immediately exploded, sending the creature backwards in a cloud of smoke and dust.

Laxus walked over to Natsu, and they watched the area as the smoke cleared. The wyvern didn't get back up again.

"It feels good to be able to use my slayer magic," Laxus commented, stretching slightly and cracking his knuckles. Natsu was impressed that his coat had stayed on during the fight and hadn't taken any hits.

"And my curses," Natsu agreed. He walked over to the fallen wyvern and plucked a scale from its hide, then tucking it safely inside his pocket. "We should do this more often, shock head."

Laxus smirked slightly. "Well, I can't deny that it's been fun. I may take you up on that." They started walking away from the smoking wyvern, Happy now joining them again since there wasn't fire and lightning flying everywhere every few seconds. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something, anyway?"

Natsu snapped his fingers as he remembered the original point of coming here with Laxus. "Right! I did!" Happy snickered, and Laxus just stared stonily at him, waiting for whatever he was going to say. "So ever since the Lullaby incident, I've been tracking the activities of Zeref's demons."

"So?"

"So I picked up something from this place. Ah, where was it again. Island of Saloons or something?" Natsu asked, turning to Happy.

"It's Galuna Island, Natsu," Happy supplied helpfully, flying around the two. He stopped in front of them, hovering mid-air. "Wasn't there a job request on that island?"

Natsu glanced at his flying friend. "Probably," he shrugged. "I just want to be able to move around without anyone seeing us."

Laxus actually laughed. Natsu turned to glare at him. "You can't be serious. I don't think I've ever seen you sneak anything past Erza, let alone an entire island."

Natsu kept his unimpressed expression up. "You don't know what Igneel is like," he said bluntly. _Or the rest of the demonic extended family_ , he added silently. "Anyway, it'll be easier to sneak around if we're not having to go to a client first, right?"

"He's got you there," Happy piped up. Laxus ignored him.

"You said it's on Galuna Island," he said, expression thoughtful. Natsu nodded, and Laxus seemed to make his mind up on something. "I'll see you there, then."

With that, he vanished in a crack of lightning, leaving nothing but only the faint smell of burning behind. Natsu just laughed. "Let's go, Happy," he said cheerfully, flames igniting around him – the tell-tale sign of his Hell's Gate curse. The moment Happy had landed on top of Natsu's hair, they too vanished in a puff of flames.

* * *

Author's note: so, that was that. Hopefully, that was okay. Again, I technically should be still doing my psychology assignments and medical assignments right now, because there are still _so many and they're never ending_ , but hey. I decided to do this for you all. That's why I'm paranoid about it being okay. So please let me know if it turned out okay?

Fun fact: I found out recently that I'm allergic to heat. I'm becoming more like Gray or Juvia everyday.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: Here we are, another chapter, properly starting the Deliora arc! I really hope it's okay! *crosses fingers*

* * *

Galuna Island was a rather nice place, a tropical island about an hour or so off the main coast. Natsu wasn't entirely sure what he'd been expecting when he reappeared, flames immediately dissipating around him and Happy. Maybe palm trees and white sand beaches, like a stereotypical tropical island paradise, since he knew nothing about the island, other than the name?

What he wasn't expecting was for the sudden crushing weight of power, so heavy and dark and familiar, coming from somewhere on the island. Blinking, Natsu turned to look at Laxus, standing off to the side with his arms folded, frowning.

"Can you feel that?" he asked, sniffing the air. Not much to the gleaned from the air at their current position. The smell of the sea and new trees got in the way of anything that might be useful.

Laxus nodded, still frowning heavily. "Yeah," he grunted, eyes narrowed. "This is what you were talking about?"

"Yeah. It's definitely here."

The two stood in silence for a moment, Happy hovering between them worriedly, before Natsu said, "I guess we should start looking for it then."

Happy nodded. "Aye, sir."

Laxus made a non-committal noise of agreement. Natsu took it as a yes.

* * *

"So that's Galuna Island?"

"Apparently," Gray replied, nodding. Lucy shivered, looking back at the foreboding island off in the distance. The waves rocked the boat beneath them, sending splashes of sea salt onto her face. The only thing that made this trip more bearable was the fact that they'd left Elfman back in Hargeon, something down to him having a 'manly change of mind'. The two of them wondered if the 'manly change of mind' was anything to do with his sister, Mirajane.

Seeing the island now, though, Lucy couldn't blame him. She half-wished that she'd stayed behind, as well.

"It looks nice?" Lucy tried half-heartedly. Even to her, it sounded fake.

Before Gray could reply, the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse, and the waves picked up around them.

"What the - ! I didn't even summon Aquarius!" Lucy shouted over the harsh winds, not daring to take her hands over the sides of the boat. Her hair whipped into her eyes, and she tried to blink it out carefully. One look at Gray told her that he was in a similar situation.

And as for the fisherman bringing them to the island? Well, he was just gone. Which was just great.

"Just hold on!" Gray shouted back, right as the boat splintered from the force of the waves. Whatever happened after falling into freezing sea water, Lucy had no idea.

When she next woke up, Lucy was lying on a beach in the sun, bits of the broken boat around her. Blinking confusedly, she sat up, shaking the bits of sand out of her hair, and immediately spotted Gray lying nearby. Standing up, she looked around. It didn't seem to look as bad when you were actually standing on the island, rather than when you were looking at the island from a distance away.

"Cursed island, huh?" came Gray's voice, and Lucy turned to look at him. "At least they got that bit right. I'm just glad flame brain's not with us."

Lucy laughed. "Yeah, he'd probably want to go exploring." She pulled her map out of her backpack, which had dried up in the sun and looked at it. Somehow, both had survived their watery entrance to the island, but Lucy didn't bother to question how. "There's only one village on the island, and it was the village chief who put the job request out."

"So I guess we should go there first," Gray nodded, "Makes sense. Then we can find out what we're doing."

Lucy mentally sighed, resisting the urge to remind Gray that being here was his idea. Instead, they started walking in the direction that the map pointed. Every so often, Lucy would see brightly coloured birds and flowers, or strange markings in the trees and ground. At one point, when they reached a large clearing, she saw what looked like scorch marks lightly burned into the ground.

"Creepy," she muttered to herself, and mentally shook herself, forcing herself to keep moving on. About ten minutes later, just as night was about to break, the first sign of the village came into view: a giant fence that stretched about halfway to the sky, designed, it seemed, to keep intruders out. Lucy privately wondered who'd be suicidal enough to come to this island on a normal day-to-day basis.

Stopping just before the enormous gate, Lucy and Gray looked at each other.

"Hello?" Lucy tried calling up at it, waving as an extra measure. "We're wizards from Fairy Tail! We're here to help you!"

There was the faint sound of shuffling from the top, and two silhouetted figures appeared at the top of the gate.

"You're from Fairy Tail?" one asked, sounding sceptical.

"Yes," Lucy nodded.

"Then how come we didn't receive any notification that the job had been accepted?"

"Well – "

"There was probably a mix up with the paperwork," Gray answered for her smoothly, and Lucy sent him a grateful look. The two guards seemed to accept that, and immediately asked to see their guild emblems. Showing off her guild mark still gave Lucy a thrill even a month later.

Once they were through the village gate, they were met by a crowd of hooded villagers. By observing them, Lucy guessed that the shortest one seemed to be the chief of the village, something that was confirmed when he started explaining their curse to her and Gray, showed them the terrifying transformation they went through every night – inwardly, she wondered if Natsu experienced pain if he transformed into a demon form – and told them of how some villagers had lost their minds to the curse. How they'd had to put some of those people out of their misery because they'd become a danger to themselves and the people around them.

"The moon must be destroyed," the chief said finally, voice heavy with his tale.

Gray and Lucy blinked, and suddenly they were off to the guest house for the night with the impossible task of destroying the moon ahead of them.

"So we're… going to destroy the moon?" Lucy asked, closing the window blinds to block out any moonbeams. Call her superstitious, but she was _not_ taking any chances. Gray sighed and tilted his head back, looking at the ceiling.

"We can't destroy the moon. It's not possible to," Gray replied tiredly. He turned and threw himself onto his sleeping bag, mumbling out a, " _We'll look into it more in the morning_ ," before dropping off in an instant.

Lucy stared for a moment, bemused, before shrugging. "I'm pretty tired as well. I guess I'll get some sleep as well," she said aloud, climbing under her own blankets with what she hoped was more grace than what Gray had done.

Lying in her sleeping bag, thoughts of the curse and the demonic forms filled her mind again. Which then flitted to thoughts of Natsu, and she wondered if her demonic friend had a more demony form. It was a thought that she'd had a few times ever since the Lullaby incident, when Natsu had brought up demons having 'second forms', but he'd always somehow avoided the topic of his own hypothetical demon form. Lucy had to admit, she was curious to know if he had one.

With those thoughts and Gray's moderately loud snoring, she managed to fall into a restless sleep.

* * *

"Remind me why we needed to be up early for this again," Gray groaned in protest, rubbing the back of his neck as he stumbled along behind Lucy.

"You kept waking me up half the night with your snoring and you don't see me complaining about being up early," Lucy retorted, too annoyed to put up with Gray's sadness at the lack of sleep. All through the night, she'd been woken up at random points by snoring, so he was _not going to complain about this._

"Hopefully we'll find something that'll give us some more clues today," Gray said, changing the topic.

"So we don't have to destroy the moon, you mean," Lucy muttered, eyes scanning the areas for anything that might stick out. Her eyes landed on a bit of the ground that had been scorched, like the area back near the village. Looking at that general area properly, Lucy could see that there were smaller scorch marks on the tree trunks as well. "Scorch marks here as well?" she asked aloud, frowning. She suddenly had a bad feeling about them.

Gray knelt down to examine the ones on the ground. "Looks like someone's been here recently," he said, touching them briefly before standing again.

Continuing their walk, they eventually came across a downed giant rat in a hat and a tutu at what looked like an exit to the forest.

" _What the hell is that thing_?!" Lucy nearly shrieked, jumping back a step in complete surprise. Her senses kicked in a second later, and she joined Gray in looking the creature over, frowning. "And why is it knocked out cold?"

"Look here," Gray said, pointing at the rat's side. "More scorch marks." Sure enough, there they were, blackened into the bright blue fur. "But there's more burn marks that don't look like they've been made by fire here. Look." He pointed at the rat's other side, and Lucy could see what Gray meant. Whilst the other marks were clearly fire of origin, these ones seemed to come from somewhere else. Maybe lightning…

An uneasy feeling began to unfurl inside Lucy's stomach, although she couldn't explain it.

"There's a temple," Gray nodded ahead of them, breaking Lucy's chain of thought. "Maybe we can find some answers in there."

Walking into the dark temple, Lucy squinted as she felt her eyes adjust, then she stared at the walls around them. Pictures of the moon, but otherwise bare.

"Temple of the moon. Island of the moon," Lucy murmured, still looking around.

"I feel like this curse is connected to the moon somehow, but not in the way that the villagers think," Gray said, scowling. Lucy continued scanning the room, and her eyes widened when she found a hole in the floor.

"Gray, look," she pointed at the offending crack. Gray followed the point and hummed in response. "Either someone's been investigating this before us, or the ones responsible are really dumb."

They both walked over to the hole and looked down the hole. From the looks of things, the hole seemed to go down a long way. Lucy glanced down it nervously.

"What do you think we should do?" she asked, but before anything else could be said, there was a rumble from beneath their feet. "What – " The floor suddenly gave way beneath them, cracks that had slowly been extending from the hole connecting together around Lucy and Gray. With a scream and yell, they fell into darkness.

Somehow, she ended up being uninjured. Lucy wasn't sure what she landed on. Judging by the slight pains in her back, she guessed it was a pile of rocks that had slightly softened her fall. To her side, Gray emerged from another pile, looking less than impressed at their latest predicament.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, glancing over at her as he hauled himself out of the rocks. He looked up at the broken part of the ceiling and scowled.

"No," Lucy replied, walking out onto flat ground. Down where they were, very little light shone down the hole they'd fallen. "Maybe we should start walking? We can't stay here."

"Yeah…"

Lucy looked around as best she could again, and she and Gray set off in the only direction that seemed to lead somewhere. In the silence, their footsteps seemed loud and echoing, small stones being kicked out of the way. The long tunnel they were walking down eventually seemed to get lighter, and eventually opened up to a cave.

"What the hell is this?" Gray asked, looking back at the tunnel then forward again.

"This is all underneath the temple?" Lucy questioned, frowning lightly as they started walking again, looking around. As they rounded a corner, Lucy saw a glint of something, and they came upon a huge block of ice. Coming closer to it, she could see a form in it, something huge and monstrous and everything that looked like a nightmare personified.

"What the…" she murmured, trailing off as she stared at it. The air around her began to freeze unexpectedly, and she turned to Gray in surprise. To her shock, his face was full of horror.

"No. There's no way. It can't be. What's it doing _here_?" he said, almost growling as the horror turned to rage. Lucy shivered as the air turned colder.

"Gray, what is it? What is that thing?" Lucy asked, almost afraid to know.

"A demon," Gray spat viciously, voice full of hate. "The demon of destruction."

"Deliora, to be precise," another voice from behind them answered, and both Gray and Lucy whipped around at the voice. Lucy felt the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

Watching them from a short distance away were Natsu, Happy and Laxus. Small bits of lightning seemed to dance of Laxus's overcoat, illuminating him in the relative dark and giving him a terrifying look.

"That's the demon Deliora," Natsu repeated, nodding at the giant creature in the ice, eyes blazing like fire in the dark. Lucy really didn't like the look that Laxus was giving her and Gray.

 _We're screwed_ , Lucy immediately thought.

* * *

Author's note: So Gray and Lucy have discovered Deliora and have accidentally found Natsu and Laxus. I really hope this was okay, and please let me know if it was or not!

 ***spoilers for chapter 486***

You have no idea how happy I am that it's canon that all the dragon slayers get motion sick. I fully expect Acnologia to be defeated by a boat now.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's note: I'm so so sorry about not having updated in ages. I've had college things to do and university applications to deal with (I got accepted so worth it). Thank you to everyone who's been following this and favouriting this - you're the best :)

* * *

Natsu's strange feeling about Galuna Island and the strange readings he'd been getting from it had proven correct, as he and Laxus had found within a day of being on the island. After fighting the giant rat thing that they'd run into on their way here – really, Natsu wouldn't call it a fight, not after the wyvern that just didn't want to give up – they'd come across the old temple. Natsu had accidentally created the hole in the floor that led to the cave beneath the temple, and while admittedly he hadn't been aiming to do that, it had all worked out.

And now Lucy and Gray were here.

"Lucy! Gray!" Happy chirped up, waving cheerfully from Laxus's side as the three of them moved towards the other two. "I didn't expect to find you guys here!"

"Yes," Laxus said slowly, staring at them darkly. Natsu saw a shiver go through Lucy's arms, one that had nothing to do with the cold air. "Not when the job request for this island back at the guild was for _S-Class_."

"Why are we worrying about that now when _DELIORA IS RIGHT THERE!_ " Gray shouted, pointing at the block of ice in front of them. Natsu turned his gaze on the ice and, in turn, Deliora. He wrinkled his nose. Deliora hadn't changed a bit, still just as monstrous and barbaric as he remembered.

"Hate to say it but Frosty's right," Natsu agreed, taking a step closer to the demon. He looked back at Gray. "How do you know Deliora?"

Gray seemed to struggle with himself for a moment, but he eventually managed to steel himself, expression hard as ice. "Deliora destroyed my hometown, on the northern continent," he said, looking up at the demon. "There were no survivors, except for me. Then, ten years ago, my master – the wizard who taught me my magic – Ur, she sealed the demon away in that ice. She sacrificed everything to seal it away."

Natsu stared back up at Deliora again, and Lucy said, "Your master sounds amazing."

Gray just nodded silently, lapsing back into silence. Before Natsu could think to say anything else, his sharpened hearing picked up the sounds of other people slowly coming towards them. Telling this to the others, the five of them all quickly hid behind a pile of fallen rocks. Soon, the disembodied voices had people to match them with: a girl with pink hair, a guy with wolfish features and a guy with some serious eyebrows.

"Something terrible has happened," the girl said, sounding heartbroken and looking down. "Someone has hurt Angelica."

"Nobody cares about your stupid rat!" the wolf one snapped. The three of them stopped in the centre of the cavern, looking at Deliora. Natsu could hear Gray grinding his teeth from where he was crouched.

"There are signs of intruders, though," Eyebrows pointed out coolly, sounding far more put together than either of his friends. "We should find and exterminate them before we continue with the Moon Drip ceremony tonight."

"Yes, we should do that for the Cold Emperor, for love," the girl agreed. The wolf one looked annoyed at her, but settled on saying nothing.

"I say we take 'em," Natsu muttered to the others. "We can get them to tell us about Deliora. They must have him here for a reason."

"Tch." Laxus just bashed him on the head, knocking him to the ground. "Or we can wait here and see what they mean by ceremony tonight, idiot."

"They've gone!" Lucy informed them. She sunk down to the floor against the pile of rocks and sighed. "So are we really going to wait here all day?"

"Well, _I_ don't want to," Natsu replied, grimacing at the thought and pulling at his scarf. Happy hovered nearby, frowning worriedly. "It's midday, and I wanna smash their heads together and get some answers!"

Laxus smashed _him_ on the head again, and Natsu sighed. "Right, right. Gotta wait until night." Dejectedly, he sat down near his fellow slayer and started pushing pebbles around. "You okay, Happy?" he asked his flying companion as he felt the cat land next to him.

"Aye," the cat replied, his wings disappearing and pulling a fish out of his pack.

"So – erm – what are you guys doing here, anyway?" Lucy asked, watching them. The light from the block of ice containing Deliora shone brightly in the dim cavern, and it reflected off of Lucy's keys.

"We were tracking a demon of Zeref," Laxus said bluntly. Lucy went pale, and Laxus continued. "That one, to be precise."

"Technically, we were tracking a trail it had left behind," Natsu continued, putting his hands behind his head. Damn, rocks didn't make for good pillows. "Whoever moved it here doesn't know that much about Zeref's demons as a whole."

"I don't need to know about Zeref to know that this has to be stopped," Gray growled, glaring at the ground. "I won't let them tarnish Ur's name!"

"Gray…" Lucy said softly, trailing off as Gray continued. Apparently, he hadn't heard her.

"I won't let them throw away the sacrifice she made!" Lucy tentatively put a hand on his shoulder and threw Natsu a panicked look.

"We won't let them," she said softly, so assuring. It made Natsu smile, remember his days with Igneel and maybe even – no. He mentally shook himself. Down here with Deliora definitely wasn't the time and place to be thinking about that.

Definitely not, and not ever if he could ever help it.

* * *

The day seemed to be taking an exceedingly long time to pass on by. It was a thought Natsu had had multiple times throughout the day as he'd stayed propped against his rock, Happy dozing by his side. Lucy had summoned Lyra, one of her celestial spirits, for a bit to sing for them, but all that had done was just bring up emotions that Natsu had thought long buried, along with his ever-present turmoil over finding Igneel again.

Looking at Gray, it seemed Lyra's song had had a similar effect on him as well. As Gray and Lucy started talking, he let himself fall back into his thoughts again. Something that had been bothering him a lot lately was the fact that other demons had been becoming active again lately, ever since he'd taken care of Lullaby. Dealing with Deliora would be one thing, if it came down to it, but Natsu didn't exactly relish the thought of encountering Tartaros again.

That was one guild he stayed far away from.

As Lyra continued her singing, continued playing her harp, Natsu's thoughts shifted again. Once again, he was dredging up memories, and as Lyra's song wrapped around him like a magnet, forcing them to the surface, Natsu thought about a different time, when he'd been with Igneel. Remembered a brother he'd once known, and now could never see.

"Natsu?" That was Lucy's voice, sounding so concerned. Why was she concerned? It was Gray who was having the emotional turmoil, not him. He turned to look at her, found her watching him closely. "Is everything okay? Are you okay?"

Pushing the memories aside, Natsu smiled. "I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?"

"One of Lyra's talents is singing songs that relate to what her audience is feeling," Lucy said, glancing around at everyone. Natsu followed her gaze, and could see that Gray's inner turmoil was still raging on, strong as ever. For some reason, Laxus looked deep in thought, almost pained.

"Did her song make you sad?" Happy asked, looking up at him with wide eyes.

 _Yes, you have no idea how much. I just want to see my family again. Igneel. Even Zer–_

"Maybe we should put the harp away," Laxus suggested, voice coming out like gravel. "It wouldn't exactly be great if they heard our sing along."

Gray nodded, the motion somewhat robotic. "He's right," he agreed. Lyra pouted.

"You're all so mean," she said, reluctantly putting her harp away back… wherever she'd got it from. Celestial spirit space, Natsu guessed.

"Hey, guys?" Happy asked, sounding apprehensive. "What's that?" He was pointing towards the giant ice block that contained Deliora, and Natsu followed the paw. His eyes widened. Purple magic circles were appearing above the ice block, one on top of the other, and light was streaming through them, straight onto the ice below them.

"Magic circles?" Lucy wondered, getting up and looking at them. Gray was clenching his fists.

"We should go and look further upstairs," Laxus said, nodding upwards. Natsu nodded, and Gray's expression steeled. Quickly, they made their way out of the cavern that contained Deliora, following Natsu's sharp sense of smell even through the darkness, and up into the temple again. On the first floor of the temple, where Natsu had accidentally stomped through the floor after his and Laxus's fight with the giant rat, there were more magic circles. "More magic circles?" Laxus asked, staring at them in thought.

"Further up," Gray said quickly, and they quickly ascended up the temple, finding more magic circles as they got near the top. On the roof of the temple, they came across a group of hooded people chanting what seemed to be a strange spell, and even more magic circles that went straight up into the sky. They all quickly ducked behind a crumbling wall, watching the hooded people.

"What does this mean?" Lucy asked, peeking over the top of the wall at the other people. "First the circles, now these people?"

"Magic circles beaming light down through the temple of the moon, on the island of the moon," Laxus muttered, clenching his fist so hard lightning began to crackle. "And one of the idiots from before mentioned Moon Drip…"

"Oh, I see what they're doing," Lyra said quietly, looking over the wall as well.

" ** _Why are you still here?!_** " Lucy demanded shrilly, staring at her celestial spirit with wide eyes. Lyra ignored her.

"They're casting the Moon Drip," Lyra continued, not taking her eyes off the chanters in front of them. "It's an ancient Belianese spell that converts the light of the moon into pure magic energy. They must be using it to melt the ice down below us and revive the demon."

" _Melt the ice?!_ " Gray nearly exploded. Natsu glanced between him and the people chanting warily. "Ur cast Iced Shell on that thing! It can't be melted!"

"I hate to say it, but it _can_. Focused moonlight can break any spell."

Gray looked lost for words, eyes angry as he struggled to form a sentence. "Why would they want to melt the ice?! Why would they want to free that monster?!" he demanded, clenching his fists. Ice was beginning to form around them. "Those idiots have no idea what they're dealing with!"

"Well, maybe if we're quieter, _we'll find out_!" Laxus said darkly, glaring them all into silence.

"Somebody's coming!" Lucy hissed, and they all quickly ducked below their makeshift cover. Within a minute, the sound of approaching footsteps made them all look to the side, and Natsu narrowed his eyes.

Someone in a really elaborate get-up, a man judging by the scent he was getting a whiff of, was walking towards the chanters. What seemed to stand out most about him was the helmet he wore: it covered all of the top part of his face, had horns coming out of the side of it, and, to top it all off, had a huge plume of feathers on the top of it. Natsu had never seen anything so stupid, and he'd seen some pretty stupid things during his time at Fairy Tail. He was accompanied by the three people they'd seen down in the cavern earlier; the man that looked like a dog, Eyebrows and the pink haired girl.

"So that must be their Cold Emperor," Laxus mused, glancing around the corner of the wall.

"Man, I'm so tired," Eyebrows complained, yawning heavily. "Awake all afternoon and we didn't even find any intruders!"

The dogman, who seemed to have been sleepwalking, suddenly woke up and shouted, " _DID THEY EVEN EXIST IN THE FIRST PLACE?!_ "

"It's so sad, Cold Emperor," the girl said, sounding like she was in a tragedy. "There seemed to be intruders this afternoon, but they somehow escaped us." She closed her eyes and let out a small sniffle. "I have no right to speak of love at a time like this."

"Will you shut up about love!" the dogman shouted irritably. The so-called Cold Emperor, however, tilted his head slightly.

"Intruders?" he asked lightly.

Gray let out a strangled noise, and Lucy frowned. "So is that the Cold Emperor?" she asked. "Weird mask he's wearing…"

"I think it looks cool," Happy chimed in.

"You would do, cat."

"Have they been able to finish reviving Deliora yet?" the Cold Emperor asked, glancing back at his minions.

"They say that the ceremony should be complete either tonight or tomorrow," the girl answered, and the Cold Emperor tilted his head again, seeming thoughtful.

"Well, WHICH ONE IS IT?" the dogman shouted at her. The girl ignored him, her attention devoted entirely to the masked man.

"Then the time has nearly come," he said softly. He turned to look at the girl, and said, "As for these intruders…"

"Most likely some nosey villagers, Cold Emperor," she immediately answered, looking around as though she expected her imaginary nosey villagers to pop up around them. "They're the only ones left on the island now, aside from us. Most likely having stayed out of _love_." The dogman gave her another irritated look.

"I see," the Cold Emperor replied quietly, turning back to oversee the chanting. "In that case, _eliminate them_."

Natsu could feel the world slow down around him with those words, feel the blood in his veins turn cold. "What?" he asked hoarsely, gripping a broken part of the floor so tightly that it shattered. The cold in his veins turned to rage. This masked freak was going to kill the entire village based on speculation? Hell, _this masked freak was going to kill an entire village of innocents?_

"But the villagers have nothing to do with this!" Lucy protested, gripping at her keys.

The Cold Emperor resumed speaking again, in that cool and collected tone that had begun to piss Natsu off so much. "While I dislike bloodshed," he said lightly, "I will have nothing coming between me and my dream."

Gray's jaw was clenched tightly, and he was shaking from what seemed to be pure rage. "That voice…" he hissed out, trembling. "It has to be him… _Lyon_!"

* * *

Author's note: I hope this was okay. Once again, I'm really sorry about the lack of updates recently! Please let me know your thoughts?


	11. Chapter 11

Author's note: New chapter! I really hope this turned out okay *crosses fingers*

* * *

Lucy stared from their hiding spot at the Cold Emperor, shaking slightly in a way that had nothing to do with the cold emanating from Gray. She clenched her jaw and gripped more tightly at her gate keys, the cool metal somehow reassuring.

 _They're going to… No, they can't just kill the villagers!_ she thought wildly. Beside her, Natsu suddenly jumped up and over the crumbling wall, Happy following him.

"HEY MORONS!" he yelled, and Lucy winced at the volume, and at the hint of anger she caught in his voice. "We're the intruders you want!"

"Aye! So just leave the village alone!" Happy added, flying in what Lucy thought Happy thought was a threatening manner. Laxus sighed heavily.

"I guess we're doing this," Lucy sighed, jumping out from behind cover to join her friends in standing off against the Cold Emperor. A tiny part of her was relieved that Natsu had jumped in, though. They, at least, were all wizards and could all defend themselves, which was more than she could say for the villagers.

"AH! INTRUDERS!" the strange man with dog ears yelled, pointing at them. The guy with monstrously huge eyebrows sighed at him but said nothing.

"You have no reason to attack the village now, Lyon," Gray growled, stance ready for a fight. Everyone glanced at him, puzzled, especially when the masked moron began to chuckle coolly.

"Oh Gray, still so naïve," he said, casting them all a glance. Happy looked at Gray, confused.

"You know this guy?" he asked, gesturing with his paws for extra emphasis. At the same time, the Cold Emperor's minions turned to him with questioning looks.

"Is this a friend of yours?" Eyebrows asked, raising one of his monstrous eyebrows.

"We used to be friends," Gray answered, staring steadily at the helmeted man, glare seeming to get heavier by the second. Lucy shivered and unconsciously edged closer to Natsu, where heat seemed to emanate from like a beacon.

"No. We simply studied under the same master," the Cold Emperor – Lyon, Gray had called him – sneered. "Although I was always the superior student." He glanced back at his minions with a cool look on his face. "Well? What are you all standing around for? _Go and eradicate the village!_ "

The three jumped into action immediately. "Right away, boss!" the dog eared man shouted.

Laxus stepped forward, scowling heavily, and lightning rained down on Lyon's companions in an attempt to stop them, lighting up the area. Lucy jumped back a bit at the ferocity of the lightning bolts, watching with awe. Just as Laxus went to step forward again, the air around him seemed to freeze, and within a few moments, he was encased in ice. Small bolts of lightning were coming off of his hands, which had remained free, and his hair was standing up on end as though static electricity was running through it.

Lucy didn't know whether to laugh or stare in shock.

Laxus looked like he was going to murder someone.

Natsu glanced between Lyon, Gray and Lucy, frowning, and seemed to make a decision. Turning to Happy, he said, "Get Lucy out of here!"

"Wait, what?!" Lucy turned around, hand going to her keys, ready to fight alongside her friends to stop this insane Cold Emperor. Before she could summon any of her spirits, though, she felt the ground beneath her feet drop, and the wind blowing through her hair as Happy lifted her into the sky. He turned, and started flying in the direction of the village.

"Wait!" she shouted, torn between looking up at Happy and looking back at the quickly disappearing temple, where her friends were, facing down someone who was clearly psychotic. "What about Natsu? And Laxus and Gray? We can't just leave them!"

"Laxus was hit by a type of ice magic that freezes the air around him," Happy said tightly. Lucy felt his paws tighten up for a second before relaxing again to something more comfortable. "If we'd had stuck around, we'd have been turned into ice as well!"

Lucy twisted around, trying to see Happy's face as she began to understand why his tone was so bitter all of a sudden. Her heart sank at the look on his face.

"If we get turned into ice, then who's going to save the village?" he demanded, flying slightly jerky.

Lucy was silent for a moment, eventually replying with, "I'm sorry, Happy. I know how hard it must have been, leaving him behind like that." Happy nodded silently, his face set in an upset grimace. "But he's the Salamander! And nothing will happen to that demon, right?"

That seemed to perk Happy up. "Yeah!"

* * *

Gray watched Lucy and Happy fly away, back towards the village, with a feeling like relief. At least some of them were relatively safe for now.

"Clever," Lyon commented idly, staring at them. "You distracted me long enough for them to escape. Clever, but ultimately futile." He turned his gaze on Natsu, who was still unfrozen and next to Laxus. Laxus who looked like he was going to explode from pent up thunder and lightning. Gray took a step away from him just in case. "Interesting. My spell doesn't seem to work on you."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Natsu sneered, sharpened fangs showing for a second. Gray blinked. It was really the times like these when Natsu really made him remember that yes, he was actually a demon.

"I'm going to cook you alive," Laxus growled, still struggling to get out of the ice. Gray took another step away from him, seeing the lightning flashing around without abandon.

Natsu walked towards the ice-encased Laxus, apparently not worried about the threat of getting electrocuted by a furiously raging lightning wielding wizard. If anything, he looked like he was about two seconds away from pointing and laughing. Still with that odd half-smirk in place, he turned and looked and Gray over his shoulder.

"Can you handle this clown on your own?" he asked, jerking a thumb in Lyon's direction. If Lyon was offended, he didn't show it.

"Of course," Gray nodded, adding a scoff for emphasis on just how much he could handle Lyon. Sure, they might have had their fights when they were younger and being trained by Ur, and maybe Lyon may have won more of them than Gray, but Gray had been in the same guild as _Natsu_ for years. He counted that as training. Of sorts.

Natsu grinned demonically, and cracked his knuckles, turning back to Laxus with a frightening look in his eyes. Gray had never been so thankful to not be on the receiving end of whatever Natsu had planned. "Right then!" he said, "Let's leave these two lovebirds to catch up!" Both Gray and Lyon spluttered, but before either of them could correct him, Natsu shouted, "Come on, snowball!" and kicked the ice ball that still contained Laxus down the side of the temple, and, in turn, down the side of the hill the temple was on. Natsu went near enough flying after him.

Gray could only watch in mild bemusement.

"It seems that you have made some very strange friends since our master died," Lyon noted, a very noticeable touch of dryness to his voice.

"Like you were the shining example of normalcy," Gray couldn't help but fire back, remembering all the times that Lyon had stripped in public. Granted, he had done that as well, but it wasn't the point.

"Still, kicking the one encased in ice off of here was an ingenious move," Lyon mused, looking into the distance over Gray's shoulder for a moment. "My spell didn't work on the pink-haired one, and he isn't as empty-headed as he looks. How interesting."

"I'll show you interesting," Gray snapped, moving into his standard battle stance. The one that Ur had taught him.

Lyon chuckled lightly, and a hand came up to the mask. The mask was lifted away from his face, leaving only a face that Gray both recognised immediately and had only feelings of vague familiarity about. Somehow, Lyon had simultaneously not changed at all, whilst having changed in every single way. His face had remained the same, his hair the same, and yet his cheekbones were slightly more angular, his eyes colder. His smile crueller than Gray remembered.

"Do show me, then," Lyon taunted softly, mirroring Gray's stance with a mocking smirk. The two of them stared at each other, neither willing to make the first move, waiting to see who would break.

In the end, it was Gray who cracked first. He moved quickly, shouting, " ** _Ice make: geyser!_** "

An explosion of ice erupted where Lyon had been standing, had he not jumped a few feet to the side just in time. The jagged shards of ice nipped at his clothes and cape, ripping through the material as easily as Laxus's lightning ripped through clouds in a storm. Within a few seconds, Lyon was retaliating with, " ** _Ice make: tiger!_** "

" ** _Ice make: battle-axe!_** "

As the giant battle-axe swung down and smashed the artificially created creature into bits, Gray could only watch as Lyon conjured up more creatures – small, needle-sharp birds – using the one-handed technique that their master had hated so much. Lyon noticed where he was looking and he grinned widely.

"See, Gray?" he said, holding out a hand as he conjured up another flock of birds to attack Gray. "I've already surpassed Ur!"

"What is this about, Lyon?!" Gray demanded, creating axes and shields to ward off the dynamic ice creations. One or two of the smaller birds got through the shield, though, and they shredded through his skin like a razor.

"I will finally have my dream come true!" Lyon declared, as though that was the only thing in the world that mattered.

"You're insane!" Gray shouted, sending another hammer towards his old friend and watching as he was sent flying towards an old wall. " _You're attempting to bring back the demon that killed Ur_!"

" ** _No!_** " There was suddenly a crazed look to Lyon's face, one that Gray really didn't like the looks of. "I'm bringing back the _demon she_ _ **nearly**_ _killed_." He pointed a shaking finger in Gray's direction, the other hand poised to use ice magic. Gray just knew he wouldn't like whatever was going to come out of Lyon's mouth. "But don't you ever forget, Gray: **_you're_** _the one that killed Ur_!"

The memories hit him like he'd been pulled into one of Erza's bone crushing hugs. The sounds of the people running around him, screaming to get away from that monster. The choking smell of smoke and blood and the smell that he'd come to realise was associated with demonic beings – Natsu had one, but Natsu's was almost comforting, like home. Deliora's was as though destruction itself had a smell.

Gray remembered his last moments with Ur, and he hesitated.

The hesitation was all Lyon needed, and the newly conjured ice dragon sent Gray flying from the roof of the temple and through the sky, thoughts still far from Galuna Island.

* * *

"I'm going to kill you," Laxus growled darkly as Natsu pushed his block of ice into an upright position, lightning crackling threateningly. Natsu glanced at it, then glanced at Laxus with a bored look.

"Every time I try to do something nice for you, you threaten to hurt me," he replied flatly. If anything, that seemed to enrage Laxus even more.

"YOU PUSHED ME DOWN A HILL!"

"I was saving your life!" Natsu protested sharply, accidentally setting himself and the ground around him on fire. Despite himself, Laxus snorted. "If that guy can turn you into a Laxicle, then he could also shatter you. And I like you now, so I don't want that to happen," Natsu added, cackling at the insulted look Laxus sent him.

"You didn't send Gray away," Laxus said, still looking insulted. Natsu just rolled his eyes and set his fists on fire, holding them next to the block of ice. Within seconds, the ice started to melt into a puddle at their feet. Take that, ice. There was nothing that could withstand the heat of hell fire. Well, nothing that Natsu knew, anyway. Aside from iced-shell ice, but that didn't count.

"If Gray can't handle getting out of ice, then he doesn't deserve to be an ice wizard," Natsu pointed out. He laughed at the thought before dodging a lightning covered fist that came flying straight towards his face, and caught the second one. Before he could return the favour, though, they were both distracted by the sight of someone flying across the sky, their silhouette covering the moon for a second. It might have been almost serene, had Natsu not been almost certain that the unknown figure was naked. The two of them watched the person's progress until they could no longer see them.

"Well," Natsu said, after the silence reigned on for a couple of minutes, cracking his knuckles. "That was different."

Laxus looked like he had different thoughts on his mind, staring at the sky with a pondering expression. "Was that Gray?"

"It was something."

* * *

Author's note: So. Yeah. Like I said, hopefully that was okay. Please leave your thoughts on it?


	12. Chapter 12

Author's note: To everyone who left reviews on the last chapter, thank you! Heart you! I've also started a new thing where I'm amalgamating sources from both the anime and the manga to hopefully make this better, so lines from both will start showing up, and make the chapters longer.

* * *

Erza stared at the approaching island, a spot of blue on the horizon, the wind blowing through her hair and cooling her face with sea salt. The slight rocking of the ship made for a soothing motion as she contemplated what she would do once she set foot on land. After all, after hearing that Gray and Lucy had so foolishly set off on an S-Class quest – and the one for the Cursed Island of Galuna, no less! – she had immediately set out to bring them back to the guild. The only reason Elfman had been spared her wrath was because he hadn't gone through with the foolish scheme.

That, and Mira's stern face.

Erza's expression darkened.

She would drag Lucy and Gray back bound and gagged if she had to. Nobody in Fairy Tail broke the rules and got away with it, even relatively new members.

"Why'd you wanna go to Galuna Island?" the captain asked, looking over his shoulder at her with a fearful expression. "It's _scary_!"

"Just shut up and steer," Erza snapped back in reply, watching the captain immediately snap back to the ship's wheel. Fear was visibly rolling off of him in waves.

"If you drop us off somewhere, you can have the boat!" the captain tried to bargain, not quite looking her in the eyes. "Please, I'm beggin' ya, lady! I've heard that island is cursed and anyone who steps foot on its soil gets turned into a demon!"

Erza stared ahead, past the captain's shoulder impassively. "I will take that chance."

"But! Why d'ya have to go there?!"

"When rules are broken, the guilty must be punished," Erza replied hotly, finally looking at all of the pirates on the ship. "And that is all I can tell you."

To her surprise – although she kept it carefully under the impassive mask – the rest of the crew immediately jumped up, stars in their eyes.

"That's so cool!"

"We don't like rule-breakers either!"

"We'll help you catch 'em if you want!"

"Sure," Erza replied dismissively. "Now let's hurry."

"Listen up you scallywags!" the captain shouted, one fist raised in the air. "Raise those sails and set course for the Cursed Island of Galuna!"

The ship began to speed up on its course to the island, and Erza relaxed slightly. Listening to the loud, off-tune sea shanties being sung around her, she kept her eyes on the silhouette of Galuna, her mind on her target.

* * *

Gray came back to consciousness slowly and painfully, his mind somehow lingering on the soft feeling of the ground beneath him. For some reason, it reminded him of the snow back on the northern continent, where he spent his childhood – where he trained with Ur. For a moment, he convinced himself that he was back there, lying face down in the soft white snow after a long day of training.

"What's the matter? Don't tell me you're giving up that easily," came Ur's voice, and Gray just wanted to burrow his head into the cold even more. What else was he supposed to do, when he had lost so astoundingly?

"Get up, Gray," Ur said, sounding more demanding. "Get up, Gray!" Her voice started to change, and suddenly it was Natsu telling him to get up.

"I say we leave him there," came Laxus's voice, gruff and generally uncaring. Gray would have snorted if he had the energy to move.

"You're just in a mood because of the Laxicle comment," Natsu replied back airily, apparently not caring about the consequences of a pissed off Laxus. There was a nudge at Gray's leg. "Come on, Gray. Get up." A pause, then. "Man, you're in a bad shape. He beat the ever-loving snot out of you, huh?"

"What gave it away? The concussion or the half-naked flying across the moon?" Laxus asked dryly, and Gray made his tired face muscles scowl into the dirt. He didn't care if Laxus couldn't see the scowl, it was the principle of the matter.

"What're you two doing here?" he asked into the dirt, not bothering to move off the ground. Like he could actually move, anyway. Ha, fat chance of that happening any time soon.

"You flew into our path, ice boy," Laxus growled, and Gray heard the snapping off a knuckle. "We were heading back to the village to help stop your crazy friends."

"You also stripped your pants on your way down from the moon," Natsu pointed out, helpfully. "It was very graceful. Like a swan."

"Go to Hell," Gray ground out, wishing he could see that damned talkative pink-haired demon he tentatively called a friend these days. He heard Natsu snort.

"Already been there, pal," he laughed, nudging Gray in the side with his foot again. He heard a thumping sound, and Gray guessed that he'd hit Laxus's shoulder. "Really, it's not that great. Too many antique doors. And too many weird demons to avoid." Natsu's voice went weird at the end, like he was trying not to shudder at the thought of something. "Anyway, let's go."

Suddenly, Gray felt himself being hauled up by the scruff of his shirt, and the ground pressing in front of his face was gone. He looked around and saw Laxus staring at him with an unimpressed look. Well, as unimpressed as he usually looked.

"Wait, I can walk," Gray said, stopping Natsu from hauling him to his feet altogether. He wasn't about to have Natsu of all people show him up, not after his stunning defeat by Lyon's hands.

"Tch," Laxus snorted. Ignoring him, Gray stumbled to his feet and attempted to brush some of the dirt off of his shirt.

"Where's Lyon?" he asked. Well, he was getting nowhere with the dirt, so time to give up with that. Natsu frowned.

"Don't know," Natsu replied, shrugging. Gray heard a clicking sound at the movement and he winced. "We haven't been up to the temple since you started your reunion fight."

"Don't forget that you ran into us!" Laxus threw in, very unhelpfully, and Gray scowled at him. He wobbled, and felt the world tipping; he probably would have fallen, in fact, had Natsu not caught him by the shirt again. The next thing that Gray knew, he was being slung across someone's back like a small, insolent child. "Come on, we need to get back before your crazy friend's minions do."

The swaying sensation that started told Gray that they'd started walking in a direction, and he stared at the slowly moving forest ground. Laxus and Natsu were sniping at each other, but he paid them no mind. Instead, he allowed the memories that had been slowly surfacing to wash over him.

* * *

It had been easy to get back to the village after Natsu had sent her and Happy away from the temple. Exhaustedly, Lucy stood in the centre of the gathered – and fully transformed – village people, hands on hips.

"Listen up," she started, getting everyone's attention to her. Once she had it, she continued, "The people who caused the curse that transformed you are planning an attack on the village!" The moment she said that, Lucy could see all of the villagers look at each other with either shock, fear or even anger at the situation.

"They're gonna come down here to fight us?" a man near her asked, disbelief in his voice.

"Yeah," Lucy replied, looking at the ground for a second. Where was the manual for 'How to tell villagers that their home might be destroyed by crazed demon fanatics'? It would really come in useful right about now. "But I've got a plan. We'll capture them and lock them up until they tell us how to change you back!"

Around her, the villagers were talking with each other, and Lucy could hear snatches of, "I don't know", "Do you think it'll work", "Doesn't hurt to try", and "I'm scared". Lucy tried not to feel offended at the lack of support.

"The only thing is, I'm pretty sure those three are wizards," Happy pointed out, and crap, Lucy hadn't thought of that. Damn that cat for reminding her of that little fact. "They're gonna be hard to catch."

"You're right," Lucy admitted – those words hurt going to Happy. In any other circumstance, she was sure he would hold them over her. "And you're the only one we've got right now." She smiled at him reassuringly. "Well, good look."

Happy's eyes bugged out three times their usual size. " ** _WHAT!_** Last time I checked, you're a wizard, too!"

Lucy's mind froze for a second, then suddenly caught up because _oh yeah, she_ _ **was**_ _a wizard_. How could she forget that? Aquarius had reminded her that she was supposed to be one enough times since she was young enough to start summoning her Spirits, so why had she forgotten now? Then, like a thunderbolt, an idea hit her out of nowhere, and she clapped for emphasis.

"I've got it!" she grinned, pretty sure that there were literal stars in her eyes at that moment in time. "I just had a brilliant idea!"

Happy gave her a look. "Nothing good can come of this," he said dubiously, and Lucy sent him an annoyed look.

"Shut it, cat!" she snapped, then returned her attention to the villagers just as the chief walked out into the midst.

"What are all of you doing out here?" he asked in dual confusion and annoyance. Lucy immediately launched into an explanation.

"We don't have much time, sir!" she hurriedly said, somehow managing not to trip over her words. It seemed the lessons that she'd been forced to have when she was younger were paying off, for once. "The enemy is gonna attack any second now!"

"Enemy?"

"The ones responsible for the curse that's transformed your people!" Lucy continued. "They've been hiding in the old temple in the jungle!"

" ** _I DON'T CARE WHO'S IN THE TEMPLE! WHY HAVEN'T YOU DESTROYED THE MOON!?_** " the chief burst out, and Lucy jumped back out of shock, hands going up automatically.

"It wasn't exactly the moon that did this to you," she tried to explain, gesticulating wildly in her attempt to get him to understand. "But now we know who did!"

" ** _YOU LIE! DO WHAT I ASK OF YOU!_** " the chief yelled, spit flying everywhere. Lucy took an instinctual step backwards when it looked like he was going to fly forwards, but he was being restrained by two of the villagers.

"Chief, please, you have to calm down," one said, struggling a bit with the chief he was holding back. It seemed the chief had more strength than he let on.

"Come on, let's go," the other one said, and together, the two of them managed to haul the chief off back to his tent.

" ** _GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! DON'T LISTEN TO HER! SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT!_** " he yelled as he was dragged away, and Lucy winced at the unintentional scene she'd caused.

"He doesn't need any of that," said the villager man next to her, staring at the chief's tent with her. "He's just upset. He's been that way ever since Bobo died."

"Poor man," Lucy said sympathetically, looking up at the stars and thinking of her own mother. She could relate to what the chief was feeling, in a sense. She might not have lost a child, but she had lost her mother when she was _just_ a child. Inwardly shaking herself, she turned back to the man. "I know how to trap the enemy, though."

"We'd be happy to help if you need us."

At that, Lucy smiled. "I'm the greatest Celestial wizard that Fairy Tail's got. Why don't you just leave it to me?" she said, breathing out to try and make her confidence real.

"You're the _only_ Celestial wizard Fairy Tail has," Happy said snidely, swooping in out of nowhere like a cat determined to torment her. Lucy glared at him but said nothing, choosing to focus on the task at hand. Time to put her amazing plan into action. She pulled Virgo's key out of the bunch of keys and held it in front of her.

" ** _Open! Gate of the Maiden: Virgo!_** " Lucy shouted, and the familiar golden light filled the area. A moment later, Virgo appeared, ever serene expression firmly in place.

"Hello, princess," Virgo greeted, nodding. She jingled the shackles around her wrists slightly. "Is it punishment time?"

"NO!" Lucy shouted loudly, making a few of the villagers around her wince at the volume. She could hear Happy snickering, and she ignored it again in favour of talking to Virgo. "Listen, there's something I need you do help me with."

"Of course, princess," Virgo nodded, bowing slightly, and Lucy quickly ushered her over to the side and told her the plan to capture the enemy wizards. Acutely aware of the eyes on them and of the fact that they were running out of time, she and Virgo started the preparations on her plan to capture the wizards.

* * *

" _This_ was your plan?!" Happy burst out, staring at the ground in front of him with wide eyes of disbelief.

"Great work, Virgo!" Lucy praised, grinning happily at the work they'd accomplished in such a short time. Admittedly, it was Virgo who had done the actual digging, but she was being supplied by Lucy's magic power, so she figured they were even. "My plan is gonna work perfectly!"

"I'm not so sure," Virgo said bluntly, and Lucy blinked, then saw red.

"What did you just say?!" she nearly yelled, annoyed that Virgo, of all people, would criticise her plan. She had come to expect that from Happy – he seemed to live for that these days. But then, he and Natsu either criticised everyone for one reason or another or were out of the guild, so it was one extreme or the other with those two.

"Hey, Lucy?" Happy asked, still looking disbelieving, and Lucy looked down at him.

"Yeah, what is it?" she replied.

"I really hate to break it to you," he began, paw raised in the air, "but I think you might be…" he trailed off, as though searching for a word, and Lucy stared at him. "… stupid," he eventually decided on.

"Wow," Lucy glared at him, trying to set him on fire with just her eyes. "Thanks a lot for the encouragement."

"I just don't think anybody's gonna fall for your trap because it's the oldest trick in the book!" Happy pointed out dejectedly, and Lucy could almost see a dark aura coming off him.

"Now, don't be silly," Lucy said confidently, and they both turned and looked at Lucy's trap. Which was just a very deep hole, courtesy of Virgo's superior digging skills, and some leaves thrown over the top to hide the fact that there was a hole there. All in all, a very good trap if Lucy did say so herself. "A pitfall trap will get 'em every time!"

"But you can tell what it is by looking at it!"

"It doesn't matter because there's only one way to get in the village," Lucy reminded him, pointing at the huge gate that sealed off the village from the rest of the island. "So the enemy's gonna have to go over it if they want in."

"Well, I still don't think there's any way they're gonna fall for it," Happy reiterated and, to Lucy's horror, all of the villagers started agreeing with him. **And Virgo!**

"Go ahead and doubt me! You'll see," she said, turning away to the gate. At that moment, the villager keeping watch suddenly shouted down that he'd spotted someone heading towards the village. "That's gotta be them! Open the gate!"

As the gate opened, she stood ready and waiting for them to fall into her perfectly ingenious trap. When it reached the top, though, it wasn't enemy wizards she saw, though. Instead, she saw Laxus, Natsu and Gray (slung across Natsu's shoulders) running towards the village.

"Hey, guys!" Natsu greeted when he saw them, raising a hand and somehow managing to keep running with Gray's added extra weight. "Are you okay?"

Lucy screamed.

"Stay right there! Don't come any closer!" she yelled desperately, trying to get the three of them to stop running towards her trap. Okay, maybe this particular trap may have been a bad idea after all.

"Natsu! Laxus! _Stop!_ "

The two skidded to a stop right in front of the hole, and Lucy breathed out in relief, her heart pounding. However, the relief didn't last long. Since he was carrying extra weight, Natsu had accidentally knocked into Laxus, who in turn had knocked back into Natsu when they had come to a halt. The halt had been unsteady at best, and when they were balancing right on the edge of a hole. Well.

Lucy screamed when they fell in anyway.

" _I'm so dead_ ," she said in a small voice, already seeing the lightning sparks dancing around the hole and already imagining her own funeral.

* * *

Author's note: I hope this was okay and that you liked it! Please leave your thoughts on it!


	13. Chapter 13

Author's note: I'm so sorry for the lack of updates for the last couple of weeks. I've been away on holiday and I only got back on Saturday, and I haven't even had chance to write any more new chapters in that time. At least now I'll be able to get back into that, even with having started university today :) hopefully, this is okay!

* * *

The first thing that Natsu registered as he landed at the bottom of the hole was puzzlement from the situation from he'd suddenly found himself in – after all, it wasn't often he ended up in pitfalls. The second thing he registered was a dull ache in his back from where he had landed on a tiny pile of stones on an otherwise smooth floor. The third thing was irritation and annoyance at the whole thing.

Judging by the lightning bolts starting to dance around Laxus, who was sprawled across the other side of the pit, whoever was responsible for this was about to get an earful.

"Very funny!" Natsu yelled up, aiming it at both Lucy and Happy and trying to keep the growl of annoyance out of his voice. "In case you haven't noticed though, _we don't have time to play practical jokes on each other!_ "

Happy appeared at the edge of the hole, looking anxious. "Don't talk to me, it was Lucy's dumb idea," he protested, pointing in her direction for emphasis. He heard her splutter indignantly and call him a traitor. The lightning around Laxus flared up.

"I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN!" he yelled, looking furious with both her and the entire situation. Natsu would have laughed at him had he not been stuck down there with him. Demon or not, he was still susceptible to accidental frying by angry idiots.

"It wasn't a joke! It was a trap!" Lucy yelled back down the hole, although standing well to the side and away from Laxus's lightning bolts. Natsu nearly snorted, despite his irritation. Smart thinking.

"I'm glad you're okay!" Happy shouted down, looking relieved to see them all alive and mostly unharmed. "I was worried about you!"

"We're fine," Natsu replied, gesturing casually to him and the slowly simmering Laxus, "but Gray's down for the count!"

"The guy in the mask beat him up that badly?" Lucy asked with wide eyes, looking down at where Gray was sprawled. Laxus snorted.

Deciding that they couldn't really talk like this anymore, Natsu quickly cast his teleportation spell, the familiar dark magic circles appearing below them and, before Laxus could complain, whisked them to the top of the whole. When the flames had cleared around them, he saw that the villagers seemed to have jumped backwards in shock, which, okay, fair enough. It wasn't every day that a giant flame suddenly appeared out of nowhere, so he'd give them that.

He stood up and dusted himself off, and a couple of the villagers ran over and started tending to Gray. Natsu frowned at him, then turned to Lucy. "So how come masked freak's minions haven't made it here yet?"

A look of realisation crossed Lucy's face, and a hand went to her chin as she stared at the gate. "You know, that's a good question," she replied softly.

"If I were an enemy wizard, I wouldn't necessarily use the front door," Laxus threw in helpfully, going and standing off to the side, arms crossed and looking as stormy as he could possibly get.

"They left for the village before you, but you got here first," Natsu thought aloud, frowning. That just didn't make any sense. Lucy and Happy might have been going by air, which gave them an advantage to going over land, but the minions still had a sizeable headstart to them before they'd actually left the temple. So why hadn't they arrived yet…

"Okay guys! Hurry up and cover up that hole!" Lucy yelled, stars in her eyes. Natsu stared at her, unimpressed.

"They're not gonna fall for that," he said flatly. He was about to say more, but was interrupted by one of the nearby villagers pointing towards the sky – no, some _thing_ in the sky. Natsu looked towards it, and he felt everything inside him die just a little bit, if that was even possible.

Flying across the night sky was the rat thing that he and Laxus had brawled with outside the temple when they'd first arrived on Galuna. Its tail had been turned into a flying device, and it seemed to be carrying a bucket. Natsu had a feeling that whatever was in the bucket spelled trouble for all of them down on the ground, and he readied himself. His eyes sharpened as the bucket seemed to tilt slightly, and a drop of something neon green fell from it. As it got closer to the ground, he sniffed the air and stiffened.

Double-poison jelly.

So that's what they were planning to do.

That green drop was still heading to the ground, though – specifically, towards –

"Jelly?" Lucy asked, confused as the drop was nearly upon her. Natsu growled and sped towards her, knocking her down and away from the drop.

"GET DOWN!" he yelled. A second later, he felt the drop hit the ground behind them and disintegrate the ground. He got up and turned to the villagers as they began to panic. "You need to leave now! They're gonna be using more of that stuff!" No one was listening, though. It seemed that even just one drop of the double-poison jelly had been enough to terrify them into mass confusion, and Natsu growled again and stared up at the flying rat.

The rat that had just released the entire bucket-load of double-poison jelly, and Natsu stared in horror as it slowly fell towards the town. If one drop had caused space the size of his foot to dissolve, then he didn't want to think about about what the entire contents of a bucket as big as that would do.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled in shock and desperation, shaking his arm, "Don't you have a spell for making that disappear?!"

"Do I look like a miracle worker?!" Natsu snapped back, mind still racing like the magic rail train.

"I mean, the door's right there," Laxus suggested, pointing at the open gate to the village. No one paid him any attention, and he sighed heavily, going back to crossing his arms and brooding.

"HOW'RE WE GONNA PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THAT?" Lucy yelled, beginning to descend into panic mode with the villagers, hands going to her face and staring up at it. Natsu bounded forwards, flames igniting in his hands.

"Everybody, get in the centre of the village!" he yelled as he ran. "Happy, you ready to fly?"

Happy appeared next to him, wings already out. "Aye, sir!"

He felt Happy's paws take hold of his shirt, and within a second he was airborne and heading towards the eye of the storm – in that particular case, jelly. As they got closer to the stuff, the more repugnant the smell became, and Natsu's eyes started to water, but he steeled his expression.

" ** _Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!_** " he yelled, bringing the flames on his hands together to merge together into one massive flame. It wasn't his most powerful attack, not by a long shot, but it would get the job done. The ball of flame went flying off towards the direction of the centre of the jelly, and within a second, it had dispersed it, causing droplets to fall outside of the centre of the village, where the villagers weren't. From where he was, he could see the rat more clearly, and the minions on its back.

He smirked up at them in victory.

* * *

"Is anybody hurt?" he asked upon landing with Happy, the smoke still clearing around them from where the double poison jelly had hit. The village was completely gone, and Natsu felt twinges of guilt for that, but if had saved the villagers, then he considered it a success. Homes could be rebuilt. Lives weren't so easily replaced.

"No, we're all okay," Laxus replied. It seemed these days his default stance was standing with his arms crossed, but he looked a bit annoyed that his leaning post had been dissolved.

"The village has been completely destroyed, though," one of the villagers said mournfully, looking around at the remains of their home with a saddened expression. Natsu's eye caught a glimpse of a grave on the edge of the small, makeshift island he'd accidentally created, and it seemed the chief had, too.

"Bobo's grave is still standing!" he said, sounding close to tears from seeing it. Almost immediately, Natsu heard three new footsteps and caught three new scents – the minions. _Damnit, the smell of the double-poison jelly must have been blocking their scents for me_ , he thought in irritation, and he scowled. The sound of something like rock being kicked over filled Natsu's ears, and he turned towards the source.

The minions were standing behind Bobo's grave, and the gravestone was lying in pieces on the ground. It didn't take a genius to tell what had happened, and Natsu immediately saw red. They decided to desecrate a gravestone of a loved one, in a village they had just destroyed, _just because it was in their way_?

"The Cold Emperor ordered us to eradicate the village _and_ its people," the pink haired girl said casually as the three walked up to them, her hands on her hips like she didn't have a care in the world. "We were trying to show mercy by making your deaths quick and painless." She glanced at her comrades. "But since that didn't work, we'll have to resort to bloodshed."

 _Like Hell you will._

"Fifty villagers, three wizards… shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes," Eyebrows said coolly, surveying them all with a speculative eye. Natsu's blood boiled hotter, and he looked at Lucy and Laxus.

"You ready?" he asked, fists clenched and ready to attack.

Laxus cracked his knuckles threateningly. "I've been wanting to take them out for that ice trick," he said threateningly, stepping forward, overcoat dancing with lightning sparks. Natsu didn't envy whoever was unfortunate enough to go up against Laxus when he was in this mood.

"Let me help you." The three of them turned to find Gray getting unsteadily to his feet, breathing heavily and looking pained.

"And have you faint on us in the middle of a fight?" Laxus asked with a derisive snort, turning away to face the enemy. "I'll pass, snowflake."

"Not gonna happen," Natsu agreed, taking in Gray's injured state. Gray was stubborn, like Natsu himself was. Even if he was injured to the point of pain and unable to move, he would still attempt to fight alongside his comrades, like Natsu would. Natsu walked towards him, silently hoping that Gray would see his side of this later on.

"Natsu… don't do this to me," he gasped out, sensing what was about to be done. Natsu paid him no attention and punched him squarely in the gut, trying to hold back as much as possible for Gray's own sake – the full strength of an Etherious could easily kill, and he was only trying to knock out his friend, not kill, after all.

"Just lie down, and get some rest," he said, regret in his voice. Gray grabbed a hold of his scarf on the way down.

"Someday… I'll… kill…" he managed to gasp out, before going back into unconsciousness. Natsu caught him, not paying too much attention to Gray's threat. Gray had threatened to kill him hundreds of times over the years, and this time wouldn't be the last. Over to the side, he could hear Happy explaining his decision to knock Gray out to Lucy, narrowing it down to 'tough love'. One of the villagers moved over to them and Natsu carefully transferred Gray over to them, helping to get him onto their back, and he nodded in thanks before making his way back over to Lucy, Happy and Laxus.

"Can you look after him for us?" Lucy asked nervously, glancing between them and the enemy wizards.

"No problem, Miss Lucy," the villager replied. He turned to the rest of the villagers. "Alright, let's go." They all began to make their way out of the former village, and Natsu breathed a sigh of relief. At least with the villagers out of the way, he wouldn't have to hold back as much.

"We're not leaving," the pink haired girl smiled at them, pleasant as ever, "until every person in this village is dead." She turned to her giant rat behind her, and Natsu and Laxus gave each other a glance. "Angelica."

The rat – named Angelica, apparently – squeaked, started spinning its tail, and jumped into the air, sending shockwaves through the ground. It then sped forwards at an unbelievably fast speed towards them, and Natsu grunted as he ducked out of the way. When he looked back towards where Laxus, Happy and Lucy had been standing…

" ** _WE'RE NOT GONNA LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIIIIIS!_** "

Laxus looked up at the quickly disappearing Angelica, then back at Natsu with the most unimpressed expression to date. "Did Blondie just get whisked away by the giant flying rat?" he asked, face unchanging.

Natsu stared after Lucy's screaming voice, hand over his eyes. "Yeah, I think she did."

"Yep, she's stupid," Happy chimed in, a look of utmost suffering on his face. Natsu felt for him and sighed heavily.

"More like insane," he agreed, looking up at where Angelica was circling back around and – yep, there was Lucy, clinging on to one of the rat's legs. She had to be insane to have thought that jumping onto the rat was a good idea. And Natsu was stuck with her (and Erza sometimes) for a teammate now. The thought made him cringe a bit, and he wondered why she hadn't shown any of this insanity before. Then again, there had been the stupid pitfall he and Laxus had fallen into when they'd gotten back to the village.

Definitely insane. Was she _tickling_ the rat? And the rat was giggling away… And there they went. Natsu just stared at where they'd crashed, pretty sure his look of disbelief mirrored his opponents.

"Oh, great," Eyebrows said, sounding as though he'd half been expecting something like that to happen. " _He's_ gonna be ticked."

"I DON'T HAVE ANY TICKS!" the one with dog ears yelled back immediately, and Eyebrows just sighed in long suffering. Natsu couldn't blame him.

"I wasn't talking about you," he replied shortly, eyes closed and looking like he wanted to punch something. Mainly Dogman.

Natsu stared at the crash site again. "D'you think she made it?" he asked worriedly, frowning as he thought of the height of the drop. Even if the rat hadn't crushed her, there was still a ways to fall, and that could easily leave someone really hurt. "That big rat mighta crushed her."

"If so, she's probably a goner." Happy activated his Aeromagic, and flew upwards. "I'll go and check on her."

Natsu looked over his shoulder at him. "Thanks. Be careful, bud."

With that, Laxus immediately launched a lightning bolt towards the one with dog ears, apparently not sparing any expense if the look on his face was anything to go by (and again, Natsu didn't envy that guy). Natsu leapt forward, springing towards Eyebrows and roaring out a great plume of fire. Not as hot as his usual hell fire – he wasn't trying to obliterate the enemies, and he was pretty sure they wouldn't be able to stand his full power attacks.

"A wizard who can breathe fire?" Eyebrows asked, as though surveying a particularly interesting species. Over to the side, Laxus was still blasting the poor other guy with lightning bolt after lightning bolt. "I see. Don't tell me you're the Salamander from Fairy Tail I've heard so much about." It seemed as though this wizard's magic was to nullify other magic, Natsu observed.

"You know, we used to members of a famous guild ourselves," Eyebrows continued casually, "so you shouldn't blow us off."

At that, Dogman collapsed on the ground, looking thoroughly fried and not about to get up again any time soon. Laxus wandered over, overcoat looming over him like an ever-present shadow, and stared Eyebrows down from his massive height advantage.

"In fact, Iron Rock Jura used to belong to the same guild," Eyebrows said, smiling a bit, and was that a bit of _bragging_ he heard? So what if he had a Wizard Saint in his former guild? Natsu and Laxus had Makarov Dreyar, also a Wizard Saint, in _their_ guild. In response, Natsu just blasted out fire from both hands, bored with listening to the monologue, and Eyebrows impatiently shielded himself from the fire. "Hey! Cut it out! Listen when I'm talking to you!"

"I wouldn't bother trying," Laxus said, still staring down at him with that dark look on his face, lightning sparks dancing off him.

"You think I care what guilds you're from?" Natsu asked, "or who the other members are?" He narrowed his eyes and shifted his stance, ready to leap forward again if he needed to. "I'm here to help the villagers and you're the ones who put them in danger!" He clenched his fists. "Which makes you Fairy Tail's enemy, and that gives me more than enough reason to fight you."

Eyebrows narrowed his eyes, making his eyebrows even more monstrous than Deliora for a moment.

Natsu leapt forward, roaring out another great plume of fire. At the same time, Eyebrows lifted a hand. It seemed that whatever had been diffusing his magic attacks against him also had a physical mass, because Natsu felt something slam into him and send him flying backwards. The first thing he felt was surprise, because that was the first time something had caught him off guard enough to be able to do that in a while, since he was small and had first joined Fairy Tail after Igneel had disappeared. The second thing he felt was a dull ache in his stomach where the, for the lack of a better word, 'wave' had hit him. It felt similar to having been hit with a blunted object, but thanks to his tough, for lack of a better word, dragon exterior, most of it was absorbed into the scales that all dragon slayers had lying dormant under the skin.

He looked up in time to see Laxus launch a lightning bolt from above Eyebrows, only to have the bolt diffused like Natsu's fire attacks.

"The pulsing energy that's coming from my hand diffuses all types of magic!" Eyebrows explained, and it was like a lightbulb had been switched on with that. Natsu blinked, feeling like he had two choices: either a physical fight, where Eyebrows had a good chance of having something broken because, honestly, Natsu wasn't sure how much he could hold back his demonic strength. Or he could use his Curses, since he was sure that they would get past the wave. "Which means: none of your spells will work against me!"

"So that's why we can't touch him," Laxus growled, looking furious with Eyebrows.

Natsu ignored Eyebrow's monologue and jumped forward again, his fist landing against the barrier with a resounding thud. As he thought, the flames around his fist went out immediately, but he was where he wanted to be, and that's what counted.

"I told you, your magic is useless against my wave," Eyebrows said coolly, staring at him through the transparent barrier.

Natsu gave him a slightly savage smirk, and okay, maybe some of his more demonic personality was leaking through. Which was fine. "Then, I'll have to crush you without it!" And without stopping to think of the consequences of his actions, he pulled his arm back and punched it through the barrier. Eyebrow's eyes went wide, and Natsu smirked wider. "Hey, look! I broke through it!" A sharp, searing pain suddenly went through his arm and hand, and he let out an unintended yell.

"You put your bare arm inside a vortex of pure magic energy. Not a smart move," Eyebrows said, looking unimpressed.

Natsu stared at him for a second, weighed up the pros and cons of his next potential decision and how reckless it was, and then stuck his entire upper body into the vortex.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Laxus yelled from the side, sounding concerned for Natsu's sanity. Which, really, was just fine.

"You might have broken through my wave, but now you're stuck, Salamander," Eyebrows said, looking and sounding more panicked than before. It wasn't outward, but Natsu could hear it in his breathing. "Your flames aren't gonna work now that you're inside."

Natsu grinned, slightly demonically if Eyebrow's expression was anything to by. "But I can still use them outside! And you just gave me a _great_ idea! **_FIRE DRAGON'S_** – " He felt his elbows alight, and he grinned even wider, paying no attention to Eyebrow's sudden panicking as he realised what Natsu was planning to do. "— ** _FLAMING ELBOW!_** " His fist flew forward with the extra boost from his dragon slaying magic, and it landed squarely in Eyebrow's face, sending him flying off to the other side of the crater.

Laxus walked up next to him out of nowhere and smashed him on the head, looking unimpressed. "Tch," he snorted, looking at their fallen enemies.

"What was that for?!" Natsu demanded, rubbing at the sore spot – and just after he'd put himself into a magic vortex, as well!

Laxus just gave him a _look_ that Natsu knew all too well. "Idiot," he said flatly, turning to the fallen gravestone and carefully replacing it back to how it should be. He stared down at the now-righted grave, an odd look on his face. "You deserve revenge, Boba."

Natsu wandered over and stood next to him, nodding in solemn agreement. "And we'll make sure it happens."

* * *

Author's note: So, that was that. I really hope it was okay! Let me know your thoughts on it!


	14. Chapter 14

Author's note: New chapter, this time Lucy v Sherry. Hopefully I did the fight justice *crosses fingers*

* * *

Lucy slowly awoke with a pounding headache on a very solid surface. For a long moment, she wasn't sure what was going on. Wasn't she supposed to be back in her warm, comfy bed in her apartment in Magnolia? Any moment now, she wagered, she'd wake up to find that Natsu, the jerk, had snuck in during the night again, and she'd have to get up to kick him out again.

Suddenly, it all came flooding back to her. The temple on Galuna Island, the demon in the ice. The acidic jelly that had been about to kill all of the villagers. The enemy wizards… With a groan, she opened her eyes, her hand going to her head and massaging the sore spot. She must have hit it when she and that crazy girl crash landed. Speaking of…

"Where's that weird girl?" she asked, speaking more to herself than anyone else. She could see the thoroughly downed rat off to the side, not about to get up any time soon. She sat up, wincing at the pain in her side from the movement. She definitely wouldn't be doing anything like that again any time soon.

"That was some stunt you just pulled," came a tearful voice, and Lucy snapped her head in its direction, " _young lady!_ " The weird, pink haired girl who had been riding the flying rat was standing a distance away from Lucy atop a ledge on a small cliff face, tears rolling freely down her face like her entire world had just ended. "Because of you, the Cold Emperor will no longer be able to trust me!" The tears intensified, if that was even possible. "He'll never love me!" The girl's face turned murderous as she stared down at Lucy, face twisting grotesquely. " _I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!_ "

Lucy readied herself, hands going to her keys. "That's fine with me!" she shouted back up, glaring. "Bring it on!"

The girl screamed, and pink magic circles appeared in front of her hands. Within a second, Lucy heard a creaking sound coming from behind her, along with a strange groaning sound. Turning, she turned to see the source of the noise, and she let out a gasp of surprise.

"The tree… is moving?" she asked, not quite understanding what she was seeing for a moment. It was only when the pink haired girl screamed and the tree started to try and attack her that she leapt into action, jumping backwards and grabbing a hold of one of her keys. " ** _Open! Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!_** " she yelled, and out of the familiar, warm yellow glow, Taurus appeared, giant axe in hand and ready to smash things down. He immediately leapt into action, jumping towards the tree, axe swinging through it.

"She's a celestial wizard?!" the girl demanded, her eyes wide and looking down on the scene. "And she can open one of the twelve zodiac gates!"

"Nice work, Taurus!" Lucy praised, fist clenched.

"Why don't you reward me with a smoooch?" Taurus tried, axe held high in the air in what Lucy thought Taurus thought must have been a flattering pose. It wasn't.

"What kind of celestial wizard forces their spirits to say things like that?" the girl above them asked, disbelief evident in her tone. "You disgust me." Lucy found that she had to quickly rectify the situation.

"I don't force him to say it! I hate when he's pervy!" she snapped back at her, raising a fist for emphasis.

The pink haired girl smiled, and Lucy paused slightly, wondering why for a second. "Either way, I pity any celestial wizard who sets herself against me. Your kind don't like my magic," her smile widened, "and you're about to find out why."

Lucy pointed at her, key in hand and glare firmly in place. "Taurus, get her!" She watched Taurus charge towards the cliff face where the girl was standing, surveying them with that strange smile, axe at the ready, and frowned when he suddenly came to a dead stop. A second later, Taurus was behind her, swinging the axe towards her, and Lucy screamed, jumping to evade the unexpected attack.

"Taurus! What is wrong with you!?" she shouted as she dodged the blows from the axe, heart pounding as one swung too close to home and missing her by a hair's breadth. "STOP IT!" Another attack narrowly missed her face, and Taurus trapped her limbs to the ground.

"Miss Looocy," he said, managing to speak despite his contradictory motions. "I can't control my mooovements!"

"My marionette attack magic. I can control all things that aren't human." Lucy managed to glance up towards the pink haired girl again. She was moving her hands in the imitation of a mad puppeteer, pulling on the strings of some helpless puppets, and even from this distance Lucy could see the crazed gleam in her eyes. "And that includes celestial spirits! They aren't human, after all!"

"Please, Taurus, let me go!" she tried, trying to free her arms from Taurus's grip. He wouldn't budge, though. "Taurus!"

"I wish that I could, Miss Looocy," Taurus replied. It sounded as though he was struggling with himself, as well, and it made Lucy's heart ache to think of one of her spirits suffering because of a situation she'd put them in. Unwittingly, admittedly, but she'd still called Taurus out to fight for her. "I can't help it! She's controlling my every mooove!"

" ** _Close now! Gate of the Golden Bull!_** " Lucy shouted, desperately clutching at straws. It was a desperate move to try and force close a spirit's gate, she knew. Gates could only be shut through mutual consent – if she pulled this stunt with Aquarius, Lucy knew she'd find herself floating half-way out to sea without a raft. As she expected, Taurus didn't disappear back to the celestial spirit world, and she was still struggling against him. Even worse, the pink haired girl seemed to know exactly how celestial spirit contracts worked.

"I thought celestial gates couldn't be closed unless both parties consent to it," she said softly, her voice somehow reverberating around the area and into Lucy's ears. "One can never close a gate alone."

"Close the gate! Taurus, please!" Lucy tried again, her wrists and arms aching from being held into the ground from such a tremendous amount of force.

"How about a round of Russian-roulette-punches?" the girl asked, grinning away wildly now. She moved her fingers slightly. "Close your eyes and punch 'til you get a hit!"

Lucy stared on in horror was Taurus was forced to do just that, and ducked out of the way of his oncoming fists. "Taurus!"

"So this is the best we can expect from a Fairy Tail wizard?" the girl asked casually, still puppeteering Taurus as though he were a puppet for her to play with. "This is just pathetic."

Lucy ignored her and focused on her spirit. "Taurus, remember the contract you made with me! Snap out of it!" She felt tears gathering in the corners of her eyes as she recalled their first meeting in that field, in a time that seemed so long ago. "You promised that you'd always be around to protect me, remember?!" Taurus was staring at her, the pink glow in his eyes flashing, and Lucy knew instinctively that he was recalling that memory as well, their first meeting in that field of cows. Suddenly, he reared back, clutching his head as though in pain.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" the pink haired girl demanded from her makeshift base on the ledge, no longer looking so happy. "Just finish her off already!"

Taurus readied his arm to swing down again, and Lucy didn't even attempt to dodge the coming blow. "You heard what she said!" she yelled up at him. "We can send you back but we gotta work together!" She thought she could see a flicker of him coming back in his eyes, and she continued shouting. " _You gotta fight it, Taurus!_ " Taurus's fist swung down towards her, and stopped just short of her face. Her spirit was surrounded by the familiar golden glow, and he smiled at her in relief and thanks before vanishing back into the celestial world.

Lucy lay there for a second, breathing heavily and unable to believe what had just happened. She lifted her hands and stared at the back of them, at the pink Fairy Tail emblem on the back of her right hand. "I-it worked," she gasped out, mind whirring. "I was able to do a forced closure!" She sat up, hand going to her chest. She could feel her heart pounding against her rib cage with the adrenaline of the fight, and she felt lightheaded as it began to leave her brain. "Oh, wow," she said faintly, looking at the ground. "I've… grown up a little."

She leapt to her feet, grabbing the whip off of her hip, sparkling grin firmly in place. " _That's right!_ You're dealing with a full-fledged member of the Fairy Tail guild now!"

The girl (Lucy decided to start calling her Pinkie in her head, at least until she discovered her actual name) leapt down nimbly off her perch, landing with a light thud on the slightly rocky terrain. She was staring at Lucy with a calm expression, even despite everything that had just occurred. "I suppose I should have expected this from the likes of a Fairy Tail wizard," she said casually, as though she had no cares in the world. Considering she had screeching and cursing Lucy's soul to eternal damnation only ten minutes ago, it was a pretty quick turnaround in moods.

"Our battle here is just beginning!" Lucy announced, pulling the whip taut between her hands. Pinkie smiled that creepy smile of hers again.

"Let's not forget," she smiled, shifting slightly, "that your celestial spirits have no effect on me. My powers allow me to take control of any that you may call forth."

Lucy smirked, plan already formed in mind, and her hand went to her keys. "Don't be so sure. I still have plenty of dangerous spirits I can call on!" she said. She whipped out a key – a silver one this time – and held it out in front of her. " ** _Open! Gate of Canis Minor: Nikora!_** " The golden light momentarily flooded the area, and Plue appeared before them. Lucy saw Pinkie raising her hands in the puppeteer position, and inwardly smirked again.

" ** _Doll attack: Marionette!_** " Pinkie said, smiling like Lucy had stepped into her own grave. "Now you're my puppet!"

Plue turned around from where he'd been walking to face Lucy, an evil glint in his eyes. "Plue?" Lucy asked, adding an edge of uncertainty for extra effect. "Not you, too!" Plue launched towards her, swinging his tiny fists with everything he had at her boots. She stared down at where he was attempting to pummel her legs to death, and then glanced back up at the dumbfounded expression Pinkie wore.

"You're kidding me!" Pinkie exclaimed, eyes wide, and Lucy let the smirk out fully.

"I knew you'd fall for that!" Lucy shouted, and she leapt up and forwards, cracking her whip towards Pinkie. Pinkie only just jumped out of the way in time, looking less than pleased with the fact that she'd been tricked.

"You deliberately summoned a weak spirit!" she said accusingly. Lucy straightened her back slightly, smiling wider.

"That's right," she confirmed, pointing the handle of her whip in Pinkie's direction for emphasis, "I knew that if I called forth little Plue here, it would make your spell totally pointless!" She cracked her whip at the girl again, forcing her to quickly jump out of the way to dodge. Where the whip landed, the rock cracked and shattered into pieces.

As she landed, looking more battered than before and more annoyed, Pinkie announced, "I release you from command!"

The evil glint faded from Plue's eyes, and he immediately turned apologetic, bowing continuously. Lucy smiled at him and said gently, "I know you didn't mean it! Now go back, okay!" With that, Plue's gate closed, leaving Lucy alone with Pinkie again. Pinkie looked far less composed than before, and Lucy felt a surge of pride for being able to wipe that smug look off her face.

" ** _Marionette attack: Rock Doll!_** " Pinkie yelled, raising her hands into the puppeteer motion. Rocks began raising around her, and Lucy readied herself into a defensive position, smile still in place.

"We're just gonna keep going in circles, aren't we?" she asked, dodging a couple of rocks that fell towards her with ease. "I bring out a spirit to wreck your doll." She dodged another rock. "And when you take it over, I close the gate!"

She stopped short as the doll finished forming. Before her was a giant rock 'doll' composed entirely of boulders, holes in the upper part where Lucy supposed eyes and a mouth should go. That only added to the creepiness of it, but it was also kind of funny that Pinkie thought to add that in. Pinkie herself was standing on top of the doll, like the mad puppeteer she was, pulling its strings. Lucy felt a little part of her die inside at the thought of going up against it.

Pinkie laughed. "It's like we're playing cat and mouse. _I love that game!_ " Another laugh. "Let's see what you can do, little mouse! You think you can wreck my rock doll?"

Lucy felt herself sweating slightly. "I don't think I have a spirit strong enough to destroy that thing!"

The rock doll raised a heavy, bouldery fist, and brought it back down almost instantly. Lucy jumped to avoid it, but the shockwaves and resultant flying debris from the impact still sent her flying forward. Getting up, she tried to run, only to find another rock fist land near her, sending her flying off again. She screamed as she tried to land in a position that would cause the least amount of pain – as it turned out, when landing on rocks, there was no position that caused the least amount of pain. Getting up again, she started running through the thick jungle, screaming as loud as she could.

"Don't let her get away, rock doll!" Pinkie commanded from the top of the giant walking monstrosity. "Let's teach that foolish little girl a lesson!"

For some reason, that insult really annoyed Lucy to no end. How dare she call Lucy a little girl, when Pinkie herself looked to be around Lucy's age?! "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A LITTLE GIRL?! WE'RE THE SAME AGE! **_I MIGHT EVEN BE A LITTLE OLDER!_** "

Pinkie laughed again, and shouted down, "It's not a good idea to keep babbling like that. Unless you want us to catch you, of course!"

Lucy pulled her keys off her belt and started going through them as she ran. "Okay, what spirits do I have that can help me out in this situation?" she asked herself, panicking. The first spirit that came to mind was Horologium, then she immediately crossed him off. He could probably give her a countdown to when she was about to get crushed, but he couldn't fight off the giant pile of rocks that was currently chasing her. Cancer was no good in situation, either. Sure, he could make Pinkie bald, but there was no hair on the rocks to remove. And Lyra? She wasn't exactly a battle spirit to begin with, let alone against that giant monstrosity.

"You'd better hurry! If you don't start moving faster, then we're gonna catch up with you!" Pinkie taunted from her makeshift throne. There was then another tremendous thud, and Lucy went flying forwards as a rock fist hit the ground behind her. Quickly regaining her balance, she ran faster, trying to stay away from the thing chasing her.

She came to a dead stop at the edge of a cliff, then turned in trepidation.

Then immediately screamed.

A giant rock foot was hanging over her, preparing to crush her into Lucy-mush.

"I command you to crush her flat!" Pinkie shouted, sounding gleeful as she moved her hands around. Immediately, the rock doll brought his giant rock foot down. Lucy was thrown backwards by the force of the tremors, once again, and she found herself at the very edge, looking down at the ocean. Just as she thought things couldn't get any worse, a large crack began to appear between her and the rock doll. As she felt it beginning to break and fall, she did the only thing that came to mind.

She screamed.

The landing hurt, but to her surprise, she landed on sand, not in water. That was one thing to be thankful for, she supposed. If she had landed in water, then it may have hurt even more. Lucy lay there for a moment, winded and head spinning, trying to figure out which way was up from which was right.

"Finish her, rock doll!" Pinkie screeched, and Lucy opened her eyes. The rock doll was preparing to jump down from where she had fallen, and Lucy screamed, scrambling to get out of the way before it landed on her and squished her. As Lucy started running forwards, Pinkie started laughing, "There's nowhere to run, Blondie!"

A sparkle caught Lucy's eye, and she paused in her running. Of course, she was in front of water. A large body of water, in fact. "The sea," she murmured thoughtfully, an idea lighting up her mind as the tremors continued through the sand, shifting the granules around her boots. "I could summon Aquarius from here…" The tremors grew in intensity, and Lucy turned to find the rock doll nearly directly behind her.

"It looks like the cat's finally going to catch the mouse!" Pinkie declared victoriously, smirking like a cat that had just gotten all the cream.

Lucy stared at the rock doll, frowning. "Water can't destroy that thing," she muttered to herself, keeping her eyes on her enemies. "Besides, Aquarius will just wash me away with her attack…" She trailed off as an idea came to her like a flash of lightning. "Wash me away… That's it!"

Ignoring Pinkie's taunts, Lucy evaded another fist slamming down near her, and instead hurried the last few feet towards the water, golden key already in hand. " ** _Open! Gate of the Water Bearer: Aquarius!_** " she shouted as she stuck the key into the sea, desperately hoping that her plan would work. Otherwise, she was pretty sure she was going to end up squished on the side of a boulder somewhere. Out of the golden light appeared Aquarius, Lucy's most powerful spirit (and her oldest friend, although she'd never tell Aquarius that, for fear of being washed away).

"Aquarius?!" Pinkie demanded, pointing at her furiously. "How does a weakling like you have a spirit with that kind of power?!"

Lucy turned to Aquarius. "That girl is our enemy!" she yelled, pointing at Pinkie, just so Aquarius knew which girl to aim for. Not that it would actually matter. "You hate her kind! So go get her!"

Aquarius just gave her a look. " _Tch_."

"I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH YOUR BAD ATTITUDE!" Lucy yelled at her, done with marionette attacks and spirits not listening to her and supporting her. She was ready to go to bed and not move for _at least_ six hours, and Aquarius giving her attitude was the last straw. "JUST GET OVER THERE AND TAKE HER DOWN WITHOUT THE COMPLAINTS, _NOW!_ "

"Well, I see you're just as annoying as ever," Aquarius said coolly, as though she hadn't been called there to fight a monstrous pile of rocks that were five seconds away from beating Lucy to death. "No wonder you still don't have a _boyfriend_."

"WHY'D YOU HAVE TO KEEP RUBBING IT IN LIKE THAT?!" Lucy shouted back at her. " **LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!** "

Pinkie held out her hands and said, " ** _Doll attack: Marionette!_** " Immediately, Aquarius's eyes took on the same glazed look that Taurus and Plue's had when Lucy had summoned them. "Now you will do as I command!"

Aquarius stared at Pinkie, looking unimpressed. "What."

"Now you can't use Aquarius! You might as well send her back!" Pinkie said, laughing.

"No. Not her," Lucy replied, instantly thinking of all the times Aquarius had scolded her, and gotten her out of a tight spot. As much as Aquarius might hate her, Lucy could never get rid of her. "I'd never throw away my trump card!"

"I bet you won't think that when the sea washes away your pitiful existence!" She looked at Aquarius. "Now, Aquarius! Send this stupid girl into the next life!"

Aquarius, if it were possible, looked even more annoyed. "WHAT?" she demanded, her face darkening. She started up her signature attack, with a giant wave forming out of the urn that she carried. There was a small flash, and then suddenly the entire area was flooded with a giant tidal wave. Lucy felt her life flash before her eyes as she stared up at it, and for a moment she wondered if this had really been a good idea. Before she could dwell anymore on 'what if's, the wave near-enough grabbed hold of her and began to wash her away, screaming for dear life.

Pinkie laughed. "Say goodbye, little – "

Lucy looked over in time to see the giant wave heading towards the rock doll and Pinkie. Whose face was frozen in horror as she realised that yes, she was about to join Lucy in being washed away by a vengeful Aquarius. The wave reached her, and she too began yelling as the wave pulled her into it's swirling depths, like an overly wet twister.

She thought she heard Aquarius shout, " _Buh-bye!_ " and suddenly, the watery twister of death stopped. She and Pinkie were left deposited on the beach, both in sorry states of disrepair, and Lucy struggled to her feet. Man, she was dizzy as hell. And if the world could stop spinning any time soon, that would be fantastic. "Leave it to Aquarius to hurl her waves against friend and foe alike!" she said optimistically, trying to balance and failing miserably. Why were there two of the rock dolls standing on the beach?

Pinkie had struggled to her feet as well, and seemed to be having as much trouble walking as Lucy did. At least that was something. "I hate myself for allowing you to trick me again!" She started moving around, wobbling unsteadily. "But it doesn't matter because she wasn't strong enough to destroy my rock doll!"

"Yeah, what about it? That thing can't do anything if you're not there to control it!" Lucy started trying to move around too, which was proving very difficult when the sand on the ground was also moving around with her. "And all I had to do is get you away from that thing and it worked because now you're too dizzy to even walk in a straight line!"

She felt something bump into her back, and she knew instinctively it was Pinkie. Immediately, she started flailing her fists at her, trying to hit any part of her opponent without accidentally hitting herself in the process. "That's what you get for messing with a member of Fairy Tail!"

"You're just as dizzy as I am! I can't believe this ended up in a stalemate!"

"Don't be stupid! I'm the clear winner here!"

"You can't declare yourself the winner of a fight! If that's the case, then I'm the winner here!"

Lucy had had enough. So much so that all of her senses came back to her, and the dizziness suddenly faded. "I don't think so!" she yelled, smacking Pinkie square across the chin with her forearm and sending her flying. Lucy had never felt so satisfied in her entire life as she did in that moment.

"NO! How did this happen to me? I never lose!" Pinkie cried, landing on the ground a distance away with a thud.

"Oh yeah? Well ya just did!" Lucy declared, deciding to declare herself the victor of this fight. It had been a long, drawn-out fight for both her and her spirits, and she felt she deserved this. Behind them, the giant rock doll crumbled back down into smaller rocks, and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wouldn't be being chased by that thing through the jungle anymore.

"Even if the light in my soul were to be snuffed out," Pinkie said from the side, hand on her chest like she was in one of the bad lacrima vision dramas, "I will never be untrue in my love you, Cold Emperor!"

Lucy stared at her. "You're not gonna die, so let's stop being such a drama queen, okay?"

Pinkie stared up at the sky, as though she hadn't heard Lucy. Or was ignoring her, which seemed more likely. "Angelica… Avenge your master's death."

"What — " Lucy started, but a sound coming from behind her, where the former rock doll, made her stop. She turned, and her mind blanked. The giant rat that had thrown the bucket of acidic jelly onto the village was heading her way, looking like it wanted to crush her as badly as the rock doll did. "But I thought that was one of her puppets!" Not even thinking about it, she turned and was about to run, only to collapse next to Pinkie. She tried to move them, to no avail, and she began to panic. "Oh no, I can't move my legs for some reason!"

The rat was still getting closer. It was directly over her and Pinkie, and any second now she was about to be squished, her remains forever to be imprinted on the sand. She screeched as she continued trying to move, but to no avail, and just when she thought it was all over –

A sword appeared, slashing across the rat's chest faster than Lucy's eyes could follow. From that one slash, the rat flew backwards with a pained screech and landed a short distance away. Lucy's eyes went back to the sword, and its owner. Who had long, scarlet hair…

"Erza!" she yelled happily, beyond relieved to see someone friendly out in the jungle with her. Erza turned her head to look at her, and Lucy shivered from the dark look Erza was giving her. For a moment, Lucy was convinced that she was the demon of the guild, and not Natsu. That was when Lucy remembered how they'd came to be on Galuna Island. They'd broken guild rules. They'd taken an S-Class quest from the second floor without permission.

And now Erza was mad at them.

Lucy felt her soul leave her body.

* * *

Author's note: Poor Lucy, having to deal with Erza alone like that ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ I hope that this chapter was okay! I know it was all Lucy-based this week, but I just wanted to do her fight with Sherry justice. So let me know your thoughts on it please?

Also, I'm making a playlist for this fic. I'll let you all know when I post it :)


	15. Chapter 15

Author's note: oh my god who else has read the beast that was 503 today? I'm still reeling to be honest and I couldn't concentrate in my first lecture this morning holy shit. I'm so on the hype train for next week's chapter. But anyway, here's the next chapter. Hopefully it's okay!

* * *

Lucy stared at Erza, her heart beating fast inside her chest like a drum of war. Erza, with her scarlet hair, her shining armour and her glistening blades, usually looked like a sight to be happy at. In that moment, however, Lucy felt as though everything around her shrinking into a tiny black box of **_doom_**. So this was how an enemy felt when they faced the great Titania.

Erza regarded her with a dark, cool look that left tingles down her spine. "Lucy," she greeted with a single, short incline of her head. "I assume you know why I'm here." She paused, staring at her target. "You do, don't you?"

Lucy knew she had to tread carefully. Erza was angry with her, and with Gray, for breaking guild rules. If there was one thing that Erza hated more than criminals who tarnished the reputation of Fairy Tail, it was those who broke guild rules. And she had broken guild rules by coming to this island. Slowly and carefully, she tried, "To… take us… back?" It came out more as a question than a statement, and Erza didn't look impressed. "Promise you won't hurt me?"

Even to Lucy, that sounded like begging, and lame begging at that.

The faint sound of wings flapping from above them diverted both of their attention momentarily, and Lucy briefly panicked, thinking that Pinkie had called for another one of her freaky pets to come and 'avenge' her. To her immense relief, though, all she saw was a flying blue cat she'd come to associate with feelings of annoyance. She never thought she'd be so happy to see Happy in her life.

"There you are!" he greeted, gliding down to them gracefully and grinning away, like his namesake. "I've been looking all over for you! I'm glad you're okay!" He noticed Erza and flew over to her, apparently oblivious to the demonic aura she was giving off. "Hey, Erza!"

Erza's aura broke, and she stared at Happy with a startled expression. "Happy?" she asked, confusedly. "I had no idea you were here. I thought you had gone on a job with Natsu and Laxus?"

Happy nodded enthusiastically. "Aye! We were tracking something down and it lead us here!" he explained, moving to hover between Erza and Lucy like a fly. At least that gave Lucy a makeshift shield from Erza's wrath.

"And Natsu and Laxus are here?" Erza asked. Happy nodded again, and Erza frowned. "I see," she said flatly, then returned her attention back to Lucy. "Where is Gray?" she asked, sounding as though she'd already made up her mind to drag them both back to Magnolia, kicking and screaming or possibly dead. Lucy needed to get her to listen to reason, needed to get her to let them help the villagers.

"Listen!" she said imploringly, sitting up a little bit and wincing from the pain it caused. With the adrenaline from the fight with Pinkie all but faded, she could definitely feel every bruise and cut from where she'd been forced to land to avoid a punch, or where she'd fallen from the small cliff's edge. Somehow, she knew Erza wouldn't feel sympathetic at the moment, though. "I'm sorry that we broke the rules, but some really awful things have been happening on this island!" Erza continued to stare at her stonily. "There are some people who are trying to revive this frozen demon that Natsu says is bad news! And the spell that they're using are causing the innocent villagers to suffer!" Lucy looked down. "We just wanted to help them, and when we ran into Natsu and Laxus…"

Erza's face didn't change. "None of that is my concern," she said flatly.

"Please, Erza! At least let us finish this job and – " Lucy was cut off as Erza drew her sword and pointed it directly at Lucy's throat. Happy hovered at the side, uncertainty in his face.

"I don't think you understand. You and Gray have betrayed Master Makarov!" Erza said darkly, and there was no mistaking the murderous glint in her eye. Lucy swallowed, trying to calm her nerves. Erza inclined her head, shadowing her eyes even more in darkness. "You'll be lucky if you walk away with your lives."

Lucy stared at her, fear coursing through her faster than Aquarius's waves ever could.

* * *

Gray had been dancing on the edge of consciousness for some time, but it was the ray of a bright light hitting his eyelids, and causing that bright red glow across his eyes, that finally caused him to wake up. As he did, the first thing he registered in his groggy mind was that he was lying on something pretty soft, and he couldn't figure out why. His last memory was of walking through the jungle with Lucy, and discovering that temple with the giant rat outside of it. The second thing he registered was the feeling of bandages covering his body in different places, and the pain that went with them. Feeling the pain from them also caused his memories of the previous night to return – Deliora, Lyon, Natsu the flame-headed bastard knocking him out.

Cautiously, he sat up, wincing at the pain it caused in his stomach. Natsu really knew how to punch someone, even if it was to just knock out a friend, Gray observed, putting a hand to his stomach and feeling the rough bandages over the skin. Then, he looked around.

The room he was in was filled with crates and barrels, and rolls of fabric tied up next to pots. Gray frowned in confusion as he stared at them, trying to recall if he had ever seen the place before, but coming up blank. Slowly, he got to his feet, stumbling a bit, and made his way towards what he assumed to be a door of sorts – he realised that the room he was in was in fact a tent. "Where am I?" he murmured, opening the tent's flap and staring out.

The tent wasn't in the village. Instead, it seemed to be some sort of temporary community area. Washing lines had been set up between tents, clothes and sheets hanging from them. More crates and barrels lined the outside of makeshift walkways in the middle of the area, and Gray felt even more confused. What had happened whilst he'd been asleep? Cautiously, he stepped outside the tent and into the unknown territory. Almost immediately, he heard a voice call out to him.

"Oh, you're awake!" a female voice said from the side. "Thank goodness." Gray turned to the voice and found one of the villagers looking at him with an infinitely relieved expression. She was probably around his age, with short dark hair and wearing what looked like a ceremonial necklace.

"What is this place?" Gray asked, glancing around them again. There were just so many pots and crates around them. The girl smiled awkwardly, and it was kind of endearing.

"It makes sense that you're pretty surprised," she smiled, clasping her hands in front of her. "We're in a place not too far from the village. We normally store supplies here." Her smile became less bright as she continued talking. "Our village was… destroyed last night, so we evacuated everyone to here."

Gray stared at her, mind racing. "Your village was destroyed?" he repeated slowly, trying to process that. He then remembered when he, Natsu, Laxus and Lucy were hiding on the temple roof, spying on Lyon and his crazy friends. How Lyon had ordered them to 'eradicate the village'. Gray's stare went to the temporary shelter the villagers had created, fists clenched and shaking. "Lyon… I can't believe you really did it!" Gray cringed as a sharp pain went through his chest, suspiciously close to his heart.

"Thanks to your friends, though, nobody was hurt," the girl smiled, scratching her arm nervously. One arm looked like a demon's, Gray noted. "We may have lost the village, but at least all of our lives were saved."

Gray nodded, thankful that at least everyone was safe. "So, are they still here?" Gray asked, looking around for any sign of his friends. No sign of any scorch marks or anything destroyed, which probably meant Natsu hadn't found this place yet. That was just as well for the villagers. He might have helped to save them, but Gray knew full well that the fire-breathing demon could just as easily – and accidentally – destroy the entire area just by tripping.

The girl nodded, smiling again. "Yes. They actually wanted me to show you to their tent, once you'd finally woken up." She walked past him and began to lead him to a larger tent than what he'd been in, towards the centre of the makeshift village. Once in front of the tent, she nodded at him in farewell and went off elsewhere, leaving Gray standing in front of the tent alone. Taking a deep breath, Gray pushed the door aside and stepped inside.

Erza was there, sitting cross-legged and hands clasped on her lap, a dark look in her eye. Lucy was kneeling next to her chair, tied up to apparently prevent her from escaping. Over in the corner, Laxus and Happy were hovering in the shadows, watching them with boredom and concern respectively.

Gray stopped, feeling like a bucket of ice-cold water had just been poured over him.

"You made me wait," Erza said darkly, not moving a muscle. "Not smart."

"Erza!" Gray cried out in surprise and horror, not sure which emotion was strongest at that moment in time. If he was honest, it was probably the horror. He looked at the others, eyes wide. "Lucy! Happy!" He glanced at Laxus. "Laxus," he added coolly, who just grunted in greeting, not moving. "What are – " he began to ask, only to be cut off by Erza.

"I believe the proper etiquette in this case would be grovelling for my forgiveness, Gray," Erza remarked flatly, staring at Gray with those sharp daggers in her eyes. Gray felt like he was being stabbed with Lyon's ice, and he opened his mouth to start protesting, but Erza beat him to the punch again. "Don't even bother," she said dismissively, waving a gauntleted hand, "I've already heard everything from these two." She gestured at Lucy and Laxus. Happy made a _what about me?_ gesture in the background.

"Where's Natsu?" he asked, noting his absence. Sure, he'd noticed that he wasn't in the makeshift camp before, given that everything was fully intact and unburnt and unbroken, but it looked far more obvious when he was standing in a room with everyone but that fire-headed freak.

"I haven't seen him," Erza replied, as though Natsu's absence on a strange island where a demon sealed in ice was living didn't bother her.

"We ended up split up last night," Laxus supplied from his corner, arms crossed over his chest like some hulking bodyguard for Erza. "I think he had some idiotic plan in mind." He rolled his eyes and shrugged, massive shoulders moving upwards then dropping. Gray was surprised he could move in that overcoat he always wore. Hell, Gray was surprised he was wearing it on a warm island like Galuna. "I haven't seen the idiot since. He probably overslept in a bush somewhere."

That didn't give Gray confidence. For a demon, Natsu could be an idiot at times.

"It sounds as though you both have it under control," Erza said, glancing over at Laxus. He gave a weird half-shrug, like he couldn't be bothered to even do that, and Erza nodded. "In that case, I'll be taking these two back to the guild." She stood and started to walk past Gray towards the door of the tent.

Gray stared at her. "What are you talking about? If you've heard about what's going on, then you know what these villagers are going through!" he protested, and Erza stopped and stared at him, expression flat.

"And what would be your point?" she asked coolly. Her eyes were still as dark and dangerous as they were when Gray entered the room, and he knew that he was walking in dangerous territory. In the corner of his eye, he could see Lucy and Happy shaking, and Laxus ignoring their entire conversation like the bastard he was. "I am here to bring back those who broke guild rules. I have no interest in anything other than that."

"Have you even seen what's happened to the people on this island?!" Gray burst out, wanting to shake Erza by her armour to try and get her to understand that there were more important things at stake than the damn guild rules. If they needed to be punished, then they could be punished later. After they helped these people.

"I have."

"And you're just gonna leave them that way?!"

"I won't be turning my back on them," Erza replied, turning and staring at Gray with that dangerous look again. "Have you forgotten that there are currently two S-Class wizards, besides myself, on this island? They are more than capable of finishing this job, and far more qualified than you."

Gray wasn't convinced. "I'm not leaving this island until this job is done."

A red magic circle appeared next to Erza's hand, and within a second there was a sword in it. She swung it around, and pointed it straight at Gray's chest, her expression carefully blank. "So you are choosing to defy the guild's rules, even now?" she asked, blank expression turning into a glare. "Then you will receive punishment!"

Gray grabbed hold of the blade, not caring about the biting sting of the metal as it dug into his palm and fingers, and pointed it at his own throat instead. "Do what you must," he said flatly, staring holes in Erza's face to match the ones she was staring in his. He didn't care about the blood that was starting to run down his fingers as he forced the blade further towards the junction between his throat and his neck as Erza hesitated – he could see that hesitation in her eyes, no matter how well she masked it on her face – or the biting pain that was accompanying it. "I've made my choice, and I'm not turning my back on these people."

Erza's jaw clenched in a silent growl, and Gray let go of the sword, prepared for anything. The sword fell away, small splatters of blood – his blood – falling to the floor. "I intend to see this through to the end," he said with finality, eyes blank. "If you want to stab me for that, then by all means, stab away."

Without waiting for an answer, or a stabbing, he walked straight past Erza and through the door of the tent, leaving them all behind.

* * *

Erza stared after him, looking between the still-slowly moving door to the tent, and the blade end of her sword. Blood was still dripping from it in, making _plip_ sounds as they landed on the ground. She didn't know what she was feeling, but she knew she was furious with Gray in that moment. Fighting to control her breathing, she slowly turned around.

"Please don't be mad at me! I don't have any control over Gray!" Lucy wailed, tears running down her face and shaking uncontrollably. Happy flew up near her, his eyes wide like saucers.

"Aye! He's not feeling like himself like now because he lost a fight to his old friend!"

Erza whipped around, stared at them for a split second, then swung her sword towards them. She barely registered Lucy's, " ** _Laxus! Save me!_** " before the blade made contact with the ropes that bound her target, severing them. Lucy and Happy looked down at the severed pile of rope, confusion in their face. "Wha— ?"

"These events are intolerable," Erza said by way of explanation, holding her sword out to the side for a moment before sheathing it away with the rest of her arsenal. "We'll deal with the immediate problems for now." Lucy stood up slowly, looking ready to cheer in celebration. Erza couldn't have that. "This doesn't change anything. You and Gray are still going to face punishment."

"Yes, ma'am," Lucy said, looking considerably more dejected than she had a second ago.

Erza looked at the door, then back at her comrades. Between herself, Laxus, Lucy and Happy, they could do significant damage against the scoundrels that had dared to harm the villagers. If only they knew where Natsu had gotten to… "Do you know where Natsu might be?" she asked Laxus. She'd already asked that when she'd arrived, she knew, but anything to help finish the job quickly and get the fools back to the guild would be a tremendous help.

Laxus gave her a look. "I already told you, tin can. I have no idea where he is," he said, shifting slightly and looking annoyed. "I'm not his damned keeper." Erza just sighed.

"Let's go," she said, waving a hand towards the rest of them.

* * *

Out in the jungle a ways away from the temporary camp, in front of the ruined temple, a giant flame appeared out of nowhere. Groggily, Natsu stumbled out of it with all the grace of Jackal on stilts (the thought made him mentally snicker), and he stared up at the crumbling building. He rubbed the back of his neck and yawned, exposing sharp fangs.

"Man," he said, yawning mid-word and attempting to rub the sleep out of his eyes. "This sucks. Just when I come up with the perfect plan – " he paused to yawn again and started walking forward, amazed that he managed not trip, "I go and oversleep!" He reached the entrance to the temple and stood there for a second, inhaling the dry air. He could smell how old the temple was just by the air and dust that there was floating around him. Somewhere between all of that, he could smell the masked creep's scent further above him, along with unfamiliar scents, and one very familiar one. Huh? What's she doing here?

Before he could dwell anymore on what Ultear Milkovich could want with someone like a masked freak, Natsu finally caught the scent of something older, and much further down, as though buried. He grinned, lighting his fists on fire and punching them together. " _Let's do this!_ "

* * *

Author's note: so, that was that. Once again, I hope it was okay, so please leave your thoughts! :)


	16. Chapter 16

Author's note: so. 504 was a thing. I was just pretty much internally screaming the entire time, especially for those four panels that showed the thing *heart* anyway, rambling over. New chapter, hopefully it's okay!

Also, anon who asked me to update yesterday: don't worry, I update weekly on Mondays (except when I really can't, which I'm trying to keep to a minimum) between 9pm and 11pm UK time :)

* * *

Natsu walked slowly through the crumbling temple, making sure not to stomp through the floor this time around – so the last time had been an accident, but at least it had led to him and bolt brains discovering Deliora, which totally made up for the fall. But he didn't want to accidentally fall into another pit again and find some other monster, so he tread lightly. All of that was done whilst continuously sniffing the air, looking for his target.

The air had turned from the clean, chlorophyll-filled jungle air to stale, temple air a while ago. If Natsu had to estimate when, it was probably when he had to light one of his hands on fire for a light source, so he could actually see where he was going. Ordinarily, he could see well enough in the dark – it was another perk of being a dragon slayer, along with the enhanced hearing, sense of smell, reflexes and general toughness – but it was limited to him actually needing a small amount of light. Unlike creatures like owls, he couldn't see in total darkness. Which sucked, but whatever. He had his fire.

Natsu stopped, then looked around himself. Grinning, he raised his flaming fist higher to inspect his surroundings. Where there would have been either walls or a narrow tunnel leading who-knew-where, he was surrounded by ancient pillars, obviously the foundations of the temple. Perfect.

Natsu raised his free hand and put it close to the pillar on his right. He pulled it back for a second, then sent it flying forward again with a yelled, " ** _Sparks!_** " Tiny red and orange flames appeared around the pillar, lighting it up like a decoration. A second later, they exploded, leaving nothing but a small pile of rocks at the bottom behind. " ** _Sparks!_** " Natsu repeated to the five pillars behind it, and the red and orange flames immediately exploded again. When the cloud of dust cleared, there were no pillars standing on the right, and Natsu grinned happily.

There was a groaning coming from above, as though the temple was protesting to being stood on only six pillars on one side. Distantly, Natsu thought he could hear panicking coming from somewhere above him. The area around him began to shake, and Natsu watched as the entire temple above him, quite literally, began to slide to the right. The result of that was a very crooked, very tilted temple.

Natsu rubbed his hands to get rid of any excess dust. "That'll slow 'em down," he said happily to himself, then disappeared in a tall flame, leaving nothing but a scorch mark and the smell of the faint smell of burning behind.

He reappeared in what looked like a throne room, having followed the panicked voices he'd heard when he was destroying the foundations. As soon as he appeared, he heard more panicked yelling, and he looked around curiously. In the room with him was the masked freak – Lyon, Natsu remembered – the guy with dog ears and some short guy with a humongous mask. Natsu caught a whiff of women's perfume and a familiar and scent, and he instantly knew where Ultear was.

"Huh," was all he said, overall unimpressed. As far as evil lairs went, this was pretty subpar. At least Mard Geer had added flair to his, along with at least three antique doors around every corner.

"IT'S HIM!" the dog eared guy screamed, pointing in Natsu's direction, and Lyon sighed, a hand over his eyes.

"Do stop screaming, Toby," he sighed heavily, sounding very long suffering. He offered his minion a withering glance and dogman – Toby, apparently. Natsu never would have guessed – immediately shut up. Masked!Ultear stepped forward, standing next to Lyon. The sight of her disguised as a disgusting-looking old man both amused and creeped Natsu out to no end.

"Cold Emperor," she said – he said? Natsu had no idea. Leave it to Ultear to make things confusing for him – smiling creepily, "I believe we've found the culprit for the tremors in the temple before." She gestured to the walls behind her. "It seems that his intention was to destroy the columns that support the ruin on one side, therefore leaving it tilted towards that side. Since it is now tilted, the moonlight cannot reach Deliora."

Natsu grinned. "Simple plan and straight to the point." He lit his fists on fire and smashed them together. "What could be better?!"

With an annoyed snarl, Lyon stepped forward, hand going into a form that looked vaguely familiar to Natsu, except Gray used two hands, and shouted, " ** _Ice make: birds!_** " A flock of ice birds immediately materialised, small and razor sharp. Natsu was willing to bet that if he let them touch his skin, they'd at least rip a cut into it. _Well, nah to that_.

Feeling lazy, he raised his body temperature slightly. His blood and internal temperature already ran hotter than most, but one of the perks of being a fire dragon slayer – and a fire demon, he supposed – was having the ability to raise it when he wanted to. That control was always nice. He stood there, watching the birds zoom closer to him –

And as soon as they were a few feet away from him, the birds shattered into a million pieces. It was like ice that had shattered under the heat of the sun. Natsu found it satisfying to watch. Apparently, Lyon didn't feel the same way, if the shocked, then infuriated, look on his face was anything to go by. Baring his teeth in a fierce snarl, Lyon threw another attack at him. This time, it was a dragon. Natsu just stared between the dragon and Lyon in incredulousness.

"Seriously?" he asked, holding out a hand. The ice dragon shattered upon impact, much like all of Gray's projectiles whenever he tried to fight with Natsu. Interesting. Natsu filed that information away for later. "You just sent a dragon towards a dragon slayer. A dragon made of ice towards the fire dragon slayer." Out of boredom, because standing around and watching ice melt gets boring after a time, Natsu sent a jet of fire towards his opponent, forcing Lyon to jump to dodge it. "What did you think was going to happen?"

Lyon paused to wipe his brow. "Don't get cocky, Salamander," he retorted, readying himself to throw another attack. Natsu mentally rolled his eyes. " ** _Ice make: tiger!_** "

The tiger, for some reason, was faster than the dragon. Obviously Lyon had never seen a dragon in battle before. Natsu teleported himself away from his spot, appearing again a split second later like nothing had happened. He brushed his hand against the tiger, and once again, it shattered into pieces. Natsu frowned at the water now on his hand, and he hastily wiped it on his clothes. He'd never liked water that much. "I was just statin' a fact, pal," he commented idly, shifting slightly and putting his hand back down by his side.

Lyon stared at him. "What magic is this?!" he asked, firing off more of his ice creations. Bored, Natsu allowed some to melt as they reached him, much like the first flock of birds had done. Others, like a giant gorilla, Natsu dodged before touching. Lyon seemed to be getting angrier, which amused Natsu to no end. "Fight back! _Take this seriously!_ "

Natsu blinked, then started laughing. The very thought of fighting back seriously against this masked freak was hysterical. "Why?" Natsu asked, disappearing and appearing a few metres behind Lyon. Lyon whirled around, magic already forming at his hands for his next attack. Natsu laughed again. "I'm having fun as we are, and if I was to attack seriously, you'd just be a puddle of water on the floor, man."

Lyon's eye twitched, and in what seemed to be a fit of anger, he froze the entire area around them, walls and floor included. Natsu cackled again, having the time of his life. That seemed to make Lyon angrier still, and he threw more birds, sharp and dangerous, at Natsu. "Shut up!" he yelled, hair going askew. "I won't have you ruining my plans!" His eyes turned crazed, and Natsu had to dodge more ice creations, as well as literal blasts of ice. " ** _I will defeat Deliora!_** "

Natsu froze, the cogs turning in his mind. He stared at Lyon, not even bothering to try and move away from the attacks he continued throwing Natsu's way – they just cracked and shattered when in range, as Natsu's blood continued to boil and raise his temperature. "So that's it, huh?" he asked slowly, lowering his head slightly. His hair was now covering his eyes, but he didn't care. He laughed, the sound coming out harsh and bitter. "I knew you were dumb, but I never thought you were idiotic." He glared at the oncoming spike of ice heading towards him, and whatever Lyon saw made him freeze. "Why on Ishgar do you think you can defeat Deliora?!"

Out of rage, he shot a hand towards the still-coming ice spike and shouted, " ** _Sparks!_** " The ice exploded upon impact with the tiny red and orange flames, obviously not meant to touch them. Natsu breathed heavily, glaring at Lyon. "YOU CAN'T EVEN DEFEAT ME!"

* * *

"Whaaat?!" Lucy asked, nearly stumbling over a wayward tree branch, sprawled across the forest path. "Lyon thinks he can fight Deliora?!"

The five of them had been running – well, Happy had been flying, because he was lazy – through the thick jungle ever since Erza had given up on trying to drag Lucy and Gray back to the guild. Gray was in the lead, and he ignored Lucy for a moment, thinking back to his fight – he refused to think of it as a defeat – with Lyon, and Lyon's insane confession of wanting to defeat Deliora. There were more important things on his mind. Like stopping his insane former friend.

"Lyon has always dreamed of surpassing Ur," Gray explained, thinking of back when they were kids, Lyon professing to their teacher of how he'd surpass her one day, how Ur had always humoured him. "But since she's gone and he can't challenge her directly, Lyon's got it in his head that it's up to him to destroy Deliora, since it was the one thing that she couldn't do."

"I suppose that'd be the only way to challenge someone who's dead," Erza said, and Gray could imagine her nodding.

"It already looked half-dead when we found it," Laxus grunted, as though Lyon was an idiot. Which he was. "Even if he could defeat it, which is unlikely for a weakling like him – "

"Laxus," Erza growled in warning, and Gray glanced over his shoulder in time to see Erza sending Laxus a demonic glare. Laxus ignored it.

" – there's no way that could be counted as a victory!" Laxus seemed to be getting really worked up over it. "You don't just walk up to a creature that's nearly dead anyway, blast it with a spell and say you beat it in a battle to the death. It doesn't work like that!"

"Simmer down there, Laxicle," Happy snickered. Laxus turned to him, eyes glowing with irritation.

" _DON'T CALL ME THAT!_ " he snapped. A lightning bolt inadvertently struck the ground near where everyone stood, and Happy laughed harder. Gray ignored them, mind focused on the memories of his last moments with Ur again. How her face and body had begun to crack as she'd cast iced shell on Deliora. The promise she'd made Gray swear to before she –

Gray furiously shook his head _. I'm sorry, Ur._ If it was to stop Lyon from melting that ice and freeing Deliora, then he'd break that promise a thousand times over.

"I need to get in there and talk to him," Gray said, nearly tripping over another tree branch. "I'm the only one who can stop him now."

"And how exactly do you plan on getting him to listen?" Laxus asked, sounding pretty tired of being on the island, and more like he'd just like to blow the entire thing up and be done with it. Gray couldn't exactly blame him. "He didn't seem the listening type last time we saw him." Even though he couldn't see Laxus, Gray just knew he was rolling his eyes.

"Because iced shell is a technique that takes the caster's very life and turns it into the ice that holds the victim," Gray explained, trying not to think about that night, so many years ago. He was failing badly at that, though. All he could think about lately, though, was her face as it shattered into ice. The ice that held Deliora prisoner. The ice that Lyon was trying to melt to satisfy his childish pride. "Ur became the ice." He heard a sharp intake of breath from behind him, and he thought it was from Lucy or Happy. "I need to tell him that Ur's still alive!"

They'd reached the temple by then, and Gray skidded to a stop and spun around to face the others, breathing heavily from exertion. It wasn't like he was out of shape, but he had been running quickly to try and get to the temple in order to try and talk, or smack, some sense into Lyon before he did something everyone would regret. They all returned their attention back to the temple, and, after a moment, Lucy tilted her head to the side.

"Hey, guys?" she asked, head still sideways and sounding like she thought she'd lost it. "For some reason, the temple looks a bit… tilted?"

It did. Before, the centre of the temple had pointed straight up towards the moon. When they were looking at it then, however, the temple was almost sideways, with the centre of the temple pointing to the right. Gray honestly had no idea what to think for a moment, and his brain was drawing up blanks –

"Natsu," Laxus said, sighing and rolling his eyes.

Gray looked at Laxus's resigned expression, then back up at the temple, and he could see it. The level of destruction involved in tilting the temple sideways had Natsu written all over it. "Of course he'd be the only one to do this. He's the only one insane enough to do this." He crossed his arms and looked at the top of the temple. "It's a pretty great idea if he meant to do it on purpose. Now that the temple's tilted, the moonlight won't hit Deliora."

"I didn't realise he could be so destructive," Lucy said, sounding a bit confused, and Erza actually laughed.

"The destruction only happens if he gets sloppy on a job," she clarified, still chuckling away. Gray couldn't blame her. Natsu destroyed at least one thing per job, even when he was being careful. At least he wasn't Gildarts, though. The thought of that made him shudder.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gray saw Laxus glance to the side, where a thick layer of bushes and trees were. They narrowed, and he jumped towards the rest of them at the same time as Erza did.

"Watch out!" Erza shouted, bashing Lucy and Happy out of the way, sending them flying and ignoring their screams.

"We've got visitors," Laxus intoned dryly, lightning bolts already at the ready. Not a moment later, what looked like knives came flying out of the brush towards them, and Gray had to jump to dodge being impaled by them. Laxus simply obliterated them on his lightning forks, whilst Erza sent them flying back like a twisted game of volleyball.

"Who's there?!" Erza demanded, dodging another round of knives and landing deftly on her hand, before flipping back onto her feet. She looked furious at their cowardice, and Gray didn't pity what their punishment would be once she got her hands on them. There was the rustling of leaves, and a large group of masked people clambered out of the bushes. A strange symbol was on all of the masks, above the eyes, but Gray didn't recognise it.

"We found them! It's Fairy Tail!" the lead one yelled gleefully, nearly tripping over an overgrown branch that snagged their robe. Everyone collectively decided to ignore that.

"We've got you now!" another voice shouted, and they turned to the source. Another group, wearing the same masks and robes, had appeared from nowhere on the path that they'd just come down.

"What the hell?!" Lucy yelled, clambering to her feet and rubbing her head. When Erza had pushed her out of the way of the knives, she'd bashed her head against a tree and it looked like it'd hurt a lot.

"It's a whole bunch of weirdos!" Happy cried, throwing his paws up in panic. His wings seemed to appear without him knowing about it.

Laxus just sighed again, and he turned to face the oncoming hoard. "Just go," he said, without turning around. Gray stared at him, the lightning illuminating him, then looked back at the advancing crowd of enemies. Laxus didn't look back at him.

"We'll handle the situation here," Erza nodded at him. She pointed at the temple with her sword, taking on a stern expression. She turned to face the ones coming from the trees. "I can handle these ones by myself. Go and settle things with Lyon!"

Gray stared at her, mind blanking again, then nodded one. Lucy smiled and nodded as well, taking her whip out. "We'll stay here and fight as well!" she agreed enthusiastically. Happy somehow pulled out a fish skeleton from somewhere and held it like a weapon.

"Aye!" he cried in agreement. Gray nodded again and he turned to the temple.

"Thanks, you guys," he said, unable to help the small smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Get going, popsicle! Enemies wait for no one!" Laxus shouted, lightning hitting the ground loudly around him, and Gray started running to the temple, heartbeat loud in his ears.

Once inside the temple, he made sure not to fall in the hole in the floor – he was pretty sure that was Natsu's fault it was there – and he ran beyond the opening room. Once in a strange tunnel, lit only by the occasional torch, he had to let instinct take over. It was mostly silent, save for the odd bat or rat here and there, and Gray just had to hope that he was running in the right direction. _Please, Ur. Guide me_.

After what seemed like countless hours, although it couldn't have been more than half an hour, Gray eventually heard muffled voices coming up from up ahead. One of the voices he recognised immediately: Lyon. From the sounds of things, he was annoyed at something. There was the faint sound of something smashing. More smashing. More yelling from Lyon. Gray decided to quicken his pace until he was nearly running down the dark, crumbling hallway, kicking up dust and debris. As he turned a corner, his eyes were drawn to a wall of ice on one side, and he heard an explosion on the other side of it. It was followed by who sounded like Natsu yelling. Gray couldn't make out words, though.

Gray put his hands on the ice and within a moment, it started to crack open, making an opening for him to get through. Another moment passed, and the entire sheet around what Gray realised had used to be the door vanished, and he stepped inside. Lyon was standing on one side of an ice-covered throne room, looking furiously frazzled and ready to throw various ice creations at him. On the other side was Natsu, looking pretty relaxed about the whole thing, if a bit miffed at Lyon and surprised to see Gray there.

"Oh, it's Gray," Natsu said casually, lowering his hands. The flame that had been around his hands fizzled out. Gray glanced between the two of them before walking forwards into the room.

"Leave him to me," he said to Natsu, nodding at Lyon. "I'll take him out." Natsu stared stonily at him, not budging an inch.

"You already had one chance at him and you lost pretty badly, snowflake," Natsu said flatly, crossing his arms.

"There won't be any more chances after this," Gray told him, ignoring Lyon in the background. "This is the final showdown." In the corner of his eye, he could see Lyon smirking.

"You seem very confident in that," Lyon remarked coolly, and Gray finally turned to face him.

"You were right, Lyon." Gray said, looking down at the floor for a second. "Ten years ago, I was to blame for our master's death. But today, you've put your own people in danger, ordered the murders of both the villagers on this island and my friends, and you're trying to melt the ice!" Gray's face hardened into a scowl. "I won't see that happen!" Quickly, he crossed his arms out in front of him, dropping down into a stance that was very familiar to both him and Lyon. "It's time we accept our punishment, together."

Lyon's eyes widened as he took in what Gray was doing. "That stance!" he shouted, taking what looked like an involuntary step back. "That's the iced shell!"

"Iced shell?" Natsu repeated from the side, and Gray could see the inquisitive look on his face out of the corner of his eye. His expression suddenly took on a look of horror.

"Are you insane?! You wouldn't dare!" Lyon yelled at Gray, eyes still wider than normal. Gray didn't move.

"Change the villagers back to their human forms, and then leave this island and never return," Gray said calmly. Something shifted in Lyon's face, and he calmed down, even smiling a bit. "If you agree to that, then I'll stop." Magic circles appeared underneath his feet, and Gray continued, "If not, then this is the end."

"That so?" Lyon asked, his cocky attitude back in place again. He tilted his head slightly. "Well, I don't believe a word of it. You're bluffing."

In response, Gray simply wordlessly activated the spell, and the magic began flying around him in a vicious whirlwind of ice and snow. "No, I'm not," he replied darkly.

"You'll die!" Lyon shouted, conjuring up an ice make and throwing it at the ice surrounding Gray. However, he just got thrown backwards by the force of the magic. In his peripheral, Gray saw Natsu move forward towards him, no snow or ice touching him. It was as though he was surrounded by his own personal bubble of clear, heated air.

"Don't do it, you idiot!" he yelled loudly, putting a hand to his mouth to increase the volume of his voice. Not that he needed to do that. Gray ignored him and focused on his task at hand.

"It's time I took responsibility," he said, watching Lyon. Lyon seemed transfixed by that point, hair flying around from the force of the wind and magic. "I'm not afraid to die."

"Stop this, now!"

"What's it gonna be, Lyon?! Are we gonna die? It's up to you, now!"

"You wouldn't dare! You're not brave enough to give your life!" Lyon shouted over the winds, smirking even in the face of death. Typical. "You're nothing but a coward!"

Gray glanced at the ground before looking at him again. "Just watch me," he said quietly. He barely registered Natsu's shout, and he closed his eyes for a moment, silently apologising to his friends in Fairy Tail for leaving them.

 _I'm sorry_.

" ** _Iced sh_** –" Gray began to fully activate the spell, but before he could finish saying the words, a hard punch to the face sent him flying backwards, breaking the flow of magic. Gray blearily looked up, rubbing his cheek where the fist had landed, and he saw Natsu standing a few feet away, fists clenched to the point where his arms were shaking. Gray took one look at his face, and he was taken aback. He'd never seen Natsu look so furious before; he was literally breathing smoke out of his nostrils, like the dragon he was, and his eyes were narrowed into dangerous dark slits.

So this was Natsu when he was angry. It was kind of disturbing, Gray thought distantly as he rubbed his cheek.

"What the hell, Natsu?!" he yelled anyway, not entirely sure it was a good idea whilst Natsu was so furious. Natsu let out a growl, and that startled him as well, because what the hell. Was that a dragon slayer thing? Or a demon thing?

" ** _You can't just burst in here, take someone else's fight and attempt to kill yourself to prove a point!_** " Natsu said darkly, a hint of a growl coming through. Gray stood up, marching back over and glaring at him.

"I have a score to settle with him!" he said back with just as much venom, "And I'm ready to die if that's what it takes!"

Natsu grabbed a hold of Gray's wrist, the one he'd been using to point, and was grasping it to the point of pain. He was glaring again, and it only made his already overheated skin feel like torture on Gray's perpetually cold skin. "Oh yeah?" Natsu hissed out, squeezing tighter, and Gray tried to yank his wrist back as pain flared up. "And what's dying gonna do? **_Because it sounds to me like you're just running away_**."

Gray froze, staring at him, and Natsu dropped his wrist, suddenly looking aware of what he'd done. Before they could exchange any other words, though, there was a harsh shaking coming from beneath the floor that felt like an earthquake, and Natsu looked down at the ground suspiciously.

"What now?" he complained, and Gray had to agree with him. It was then that a short man in a large mask appeared, running through the doorway that Gray had created in the ice.

"Pardon the interruption," he said, running up to Lyon, hands in his pockets. Natsu's face suddenly twisted in a half scowl, half grimace. It was an odd combination of expressions.

"Ah, Zalty," Lyon greeted the man, nodding at him. "I take it you did this?"

"Indeed I did, sir," Zalty confirmed. "The moon will be out soon, so I took the liberty of straightening the temple for you."

Natsu's face didn't change. "And after I went to all that trouble to mess this place up, too," he said, sounding far too calm for Gray's liking. Zalty ran out of the makeshift door again, stating that he was going to prepare for the Moon Drip ceremony, and Natsu started walking after him. "I'm going to sort that jerk out," he said, glancing over his shoulder at Gray, eyes still dark with residual rage. "I'll leave you to sort out this ice clown."

Gray froze again, then nodded once.

Natsu turned, but then said, "Oh, and Gray? Don't lose again. It'll look bad if you do."

"Yeah, I know," Gray sighed. Everyone knew that losing to the same opponent twice was a bad thing. And nobody took it more seriously than Fairy Tail.

"And not just for you," Natsu added, and Gray turned to look at him, but he just caught the tail end of a large flame disappearing into thin air, leaving the smell of burning behind.

* * *

Natsu appeared before Deliora, and he took a moment to stare up at the large demon in thought. Tonight, it would be decided whether or not he would remain encased in ice forever, or whether or not he would be freed. Whichever happened, though, it didn't really matter to Natsu. Deliora wouldn't be leaving this underground cavern alive.

Natsu looked up as he caught a whiff of the scent he'd come down to find, and he turned around, waiting for them to show up. A minute, two minutes later, the short man Lyon had been calling Zalty appeared from another passage, bustling around the rocks and getting closer. Natsu watched for a moment, then he decided to reveal himself. He'd never done well with waiting games. Both Igneel and Zeref had pointed that out to him when he was younger.

"So, Ultear," he said calmly, walking up behind the shorter figure, as though he'd just materialised. 'Zalty', or Ultear, jumped and spun around, and Natsu could sense the shock radiating from them. "What's a councilwoman like you doing with a demon like that?" He gestured up towards the frozen Deliora casually.

'Zalty' stared at him for a moment, as though debating something, then slowly reached up and removed the mask. All at once, the person transformed into a taller young woman, one with dark hair, red lipstick and eyes that Natsu didn't trust. Ultear smiled coolly at him and said, "Hello, Natsu-kun."

* * *

Author's note: Was this okay? I hope it was *crosses fingers* please let me know your thoughts! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Author's note: you all know what I'm going to say, right? 505! WHY! *coughs* anyway. New chapter. Hopefully, this is okay *heart*

Anyway, I'm so sorry for not updating yesterday. I was on a field trip all day on a rocky shore, and I'm not a fan of the Great Outdoors™ so obviously, when climbing back up a rocky hill, I fell down a crevice and ate shit. So now I can't move without pain, which is fine. It's all fine. But that's why it's a slightly late update ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Crimsonlink310** : I'm glad you like that touch, it's what I was going for. I want to stick as closely to canon as I can, except, you know, with Natsu as E.N.D. And I figured that since all the demons in Tartaros like playing with humans, Natsu would share some of that little, ah, quirk. Just watered down :)

 **Trewill91** : Maybe? I mean, he's technically only _avoiding_ Tartaros?

 **Writing bunny** : Good question. Good news is, you'll find out today :) well, sort of.

* * *

As soon as Gray had vanished from sight, running towards the crumbling ruin of a temple, Lucy turned to face the oncoming crowd of apparent Lyon-zealots. Erza steeled her expression and immediately charged forwards, sword at the ready, and slashed her way through them, sending them flying around her. Somewhere to their right, Laxus was striking down any of them that dared come near him or cross a threshold that he'd set up in his mind, not moving a muscle besides his facial ones. He was doing a lot of scowling.

Lucy gripped her whip tighter for a second, then ran forward as well. She thought about the demon underground, and she shook her head. It wasn't the time to be thinking about Deliora, or anything that could happen with that monster… A group of masked zealots rushed out at her, and Lucy let out a yell, brandishing her whip at them and scattering them around her. To her left, Happy was throwing food at them. Rotten food, it seemed. Lucy grimaced. Whatever worked to deter them.

She had no idea how long that went on for, repeating the motions of taking out several at a time. She was tired, still recovering from her fight with Pinkie and the Rock, and there seemed to be a constant new crowd to take the place of the ones knocked down. Even with three of them taking out a bunch at a time, though, crowds still kept appearing from nowhere, and Lucy, Erza and Laxus ended up staring down what felt like a small army.

"There's no end to them," Lucy said quietly, raising her whip and getting ready to strike again. Laxus stared at them, frowning. He seemed to be doing that a lot, and Lucy wondered if his face could even shift into any other expression.

"Notice anything strange, Lucy?" Erza asked, expression strange. Lucy blinked, then stared around at the enemies surrounding them. Despite the large amount of people around them, there was only a small amount of magic power for the people there. Lucy frowned as well. Odd.

"Now that you mention it," Lucy began, still staring at them, "even though there's a bunch of them, their magic seems weak, for some reason."

"Exactly," Laxus grunted, striking down someone who he apparently deemed too close to him. "There are only five wizards amongst them." He snorted. "And weak ones at that."

Happy flew by, wielding his fish skeleton like a sword again. "Oh man," he said faux-sympathetically, making a shrugging motion. "Guess this means I'm gonna have to go easy on them!" Lucy turned and gave him a look.

"Just keep telling yourself that," she said flatly. Happy ignored her.

"Can you handle this one?" Erza asked, giving her a glance over her shoulder. Laxus snorted but said nothing, and Lucy ignored him, smiling at Erza instead.

"Yeah!" she answered enthusiastically, already taking out a golden key. She held it out in front of her and shouted, " ** _Open! Gate of the Giant Crab: Cancer!_** " From the golden light, Cancer appeared, scissors in hand and ready to fight someone. Or fix someone's hair. He could do both at once.

Erza and Laxus stared at him. "We've met before, haven't we?" she asked, looking quizzical, and Cancer immediately got down on one knee, producing a bouquet of flowers from somewhere. Laxus stared at the bouquet with a haunted expression, looking like he was reliving traumatic memories.

"I believe we have," Cancer said, looking down at the ground and presenting Erza the flowers, "And as always, I am at your service, miss."

Lucy's eye twitched for a second, then she snapped. "I THOUGHT YOU ALWAYS SAID BABY! WHAT'S WITH MISS?! _AND YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE AT MY SERVICE!_ "

Happy popped up next to her, evil grin in place. "I think someone's jealous," he said happily, grinning away. Lucy turned her head to glare at him.

"Shut it, cat!" she snapped, before turning back to Cancer. "Take 'em down!" she commanded, pointing at the crowd of confused looking enemies, who had just been watching the entire exchange. "But don't kill them. Just rough them up, okay?" Cancer stared at them, the setting sun glinting on his sunglasses.

"Alright, baby," he nodded, snapping his scissors. "I'll get this." With that, he charged into the crowd, scissors out and stylist head on. Lucy and the others just watched in fascination as he worked.

* * *

Gray stared across at Lyon, fists clenched, as the flame transporting Natsu wherever-the-hell he was going disappeared. Somehow, the smell of burning in a room covered entirely by ice felt odd to Gray – the two elements didn't exactly mix together on the best of days. Lyon flicked his eyes between where Natsu had been standing and over to Gray, the beginnings of a smirk in place. He seemed to be taking nearly being frozen in ice pretty well, all things considered.

"My, my," he said lightly, brushing invisible shards of ice off his robes. "What a boisterous pair you are."

Gray's face remained impassive. "Tell me something," he said quietly, watching Lyon's face for any changes – a flicker, a smirk, anything. "When I was gonna freeze us both for good a second ago… you were counting on Natsu to stop me before I could finish, right?" Lyon folded his arms, looking haughty.

"No," he replied, quite calmly. "The opposite, in fact." He rolled his eyes. "I never thought he'd be foolish enough to come near a spell like that." Gray inwardly snorted. As if a spell like iced shell would stop Natsu when he wanted to do something.

"So you were just gonna stand there and take the hit?" he pressed, and Lyon rolled his eyes again.

"Exactly," Lyon nodded. "Because someone would come to rescue me. You, on the other hand, would be finished for good."

Gray froze, mind whirring. Of course that had been why Lyon hadn't fought back against it. Why hadn't he realised that sooner? "I should have known," Gray said lowly, narrowing his eyes in annoyance, both at Lyon and himself.

Lyon made a humming sound. "While it would be inconvenient to be sealed in ice, my allies are as devoted to my cause as I am." He smiled at Gray, all teeth and no warmth. "And since we're on this island, they can use the Moon Drip to melt the ice whenever they saw fit." Gray narrowed his eyes again, staring at the ground. Things made more sense, now that Lyon had explained it. Of course he'd planned for even this setback.

"I didn't think of that," he admitted, feeling a sick shame in doing so. "Guess the iced shell is completely useless here."

Lyon stared at him. "Even so, you still want to fight?" he asked, a hint of curiosity leaking into his tone. At least that showed he still had emotions. Gray didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. "After what happened last time?" Lyon smiled again, for a record second time, and began to say, "Don't fool yourself, you – "

"I've had enough," Gray interrupted, and Lyon unfolded his arms, looking shocked that Gray had spoken over him. "Just forget about Deliora."

"What kind of nonsense is this?!" Lyon demanded, starting to look angry. "Your threats don't work, so you turn to begging?!" He gave Gray another haughty look. "Does your guild have a medic that removes your fangs and spine? Or are you just a snivelling coward?"

Gray ignored the insults to his guild, although they sent a sharp jolt of anger through his gut. "Lyon, there's something I have to tell you," he said quietly. Against everything, Gray hoped that Ur would forgive him for breaking this promise. The promise she made him make as she left their world.

"What is it?!" Lyon demanded, definitely getting angry with Gray if his tone was anything to go by. Gray braced himself for the fallout, for breaking the promise he'd kept for all those years.

"Ur is still alive," he replied, loud and clear as the heartbeat inside his chest. Lyon stared at him, face blank as he digested that sentence. "The iced shell doesn't kill its caster. It uses their body to form the barrier." Gray paused as memories caught up to him again, and he swallowed. "The ice that's been keeping Deliora sealed away, what you've been trying to melt… is actually Master Ur." Lyon was still staring at him, silent, and Gray took it as his cue to continue. "She isn't dead. She lives on as that ice."

Lyon still hadn't said anything, and Gray sighed. "I'm sorry that I never told you the truth back then. Ur made me promise to never say anything."

"Of course," Lyon said quietly, not having moved a muscle otherwise. Gray clenched his jaw.

"It's over," Gray told him, his heart still beating erratically. "There's no reason to go through with this anymore." The entire time Gray had been talking, Lyon had been slowly walking closer to him, and the moment he quietened, Lyon's hand lit up with their signature ice magic. Gray had failed to notice until that moment that Lyon's hand was right against his abdomen, and when his hand was covered in the ice magic, the ice pierced his torso like a needle through paper. Gray let out a silent, wordless gasp of pain. A magic circle appeared in front of him, and behind him, he heard a tiger roar.

With the combined added weight of the ice tiger on his back and the pain of the fresh wound going right through his torso, Gray collapsed to his knees, heaving. He felt like he was going to vomit.

"You idiot," Lyon said disdainfully, looking down at him with a curled lip. "I know how the spell works." He smiled cruelly, and his features became twisted and ugly. "I can assure you, that ice has long ceased to be Ur. That's nothing more than a chunk of frozen waste water!"

Gray struggled to lift himself up, feeling anger rise in his chest. " _You… knew… all along?_ " he asked, gasping through the burning pain.

"Knowing is one thing," Lyon answered coolly, "Believing is another." He started walking towards Gray, where he was sprawled on the ground, too agonised to move. "And if you truly believe that Ur is alive in there, then you really need to grow up, Gray!"

Gray managed to push himself up slightly, shaking from rage. "You knew the truth… and you still did this?!" he demanded, glaring at his former friend with every ounce of hatred he could muster.

"And what of it?" Lyon asked, raising an eyebrow. Gray managed to pull himself to his feet, using his anger as energy and a painkiller to numb the pain that was radiating from the hole in his torso. Gray took one look at the smug look on Lyon's face, and he just punched him as hard as he could across the room. The noise that was made when Lyon impacted with the ice wall was probably the most satisfying sound Gray had ever heard.

Lyon looked stunned as he picked himself up, a cut already forming across his face. "Impossible!" he shouted in anger. "You shouldn't be able to move with that wound!"

Gray braced himself, holding himself ready to fight. "I've had enough," he growled out. "I was hoping to save your life, Lyon, but I've reached my limit with you!" He put his hands up in front of him and said, " ** _Ice make: bow! Ice: make: arrow!_** " Almost instantly, his ice magic moulded into a shortbow and arrow, and he pointed it at Lyon, lining up the shot, and fired it.

The arrow pierced Lyon right on his strange armour, sending him flying backwards into the wall with a strangled, " _Gah!_ " As the combination of dust, snow and ice cleared, Lyon stared up at Gray with an angered expression, blood dripping down his face from a fresh cut across his eye. He opened his mouth to say something, probably to retaliate with one of his dynamic ice creations, but Gray had had enough. He rushed forward, his anger fuelling him, and kicked him in the mouth, stopping any words from getting out, and sent him flying backwards once again.

He rushed forward to where Lyon was lying again, and kicked him in the side, taking a sick pleasure in the way his foot impacted with Lyon's side. Feeling some vengeance for the way the villagers had lost their home, and nearly their lives, in this sick mess that Lyon had created for them, and vengeance for he and his friends for the fact that they were the ones having to clean up Lyon's mistakes. Anger still pulsing through him, Gray reared back and punched Lyon in the face, sending him flying to the ground once again.

For a moment, Lyon simply lay there, breathing heavy and ragged. Then, he struggled to his feet. "He can't do this to me!" he gasped out, staring at the ground, hair drooping over his eyes. "I can't let someone as weak as Gray defeat me!" He shot Gray a look of absolute loathing, and shouted, "I can't let that happen!" Magic began to gather around his hands, and a magic circle appeared before them, and he shouted, " ** _Ice make: snow dragon!_** "

Gray could only watch as the giant ice creation hurtled towards him and grabbed hold of him, holding him high in the air for a moment. With an annoyed grunt, Gray brought his forearm down on the dragon's neck and smashed it to pieces, allowing him to fall back to the ground. Once back safely on the ground, Gray rolled safely to the wall, leaning against it and putting a hand to the wound on his torso. The pain was starting to get worse with time, even with his anger acting as a temporary painkiller.

"You see, Gray?" Lyon asked, breathing heavily as he stared at him, eyes wide with delusions of grandeur. He was shaking, whether from exertion, injury or madness, Gray didn't know, and he smiled widely. "This duel was pointless from the start! Deliora will be revived, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Gray clenched his fist on the ground. Granules of dirt came up with his fingers, wet from the ice that had been encased over it. "I won't stop trying!" he vowed, standing again.

Lyon smiled even wider. "You can try all you want, but Zalty is preparing to start the Moon Drip Ceremony as we speak."

Gray grinned that time, ignoring the pain. "Natsu won't let him," he said, gasping slightly, but bringing the smile back. "Never underestimate him. The second you do is the second you lose."

* * *

"Hello, Natsu-kun."

Natsu stared at Ultear for a long moment, analysing the situation quickly. Behind the red lipstick and perfect hairdo – even one as casual as the one she currently wore – Ultear was still a formidable opponent, both with fighting and with mind games. He'd seen her enough at ERA, whenever he'd gone with Master Makarov to see the council members, to know that. The last time he'd ran into her, she'd been with Siegrain, that annoyingly smug, blue-haired bastard she always seemed to be hanging over. Then again, Natsu hadn't really been focused on her that day. He'd more been trying to keep the peace between his guild and the council, again, as Cana had decided to charge twenty barrels of ale directly to the high council on one of her nights out.

Sometimes Natsu wondered why he'd been deemed one of the responsible ones. Maybe he should start causing more destruction… Shaking his head before his thoughts could go off on a tangent, he nodded one to Ultear.

"Ultear," he greeted coolly, taking a single step forward. Ultear smiled slightly wider, almost missed in the relative darkness of the cavern.

"I had wondered if I was going to run into you here, Natsu-kun," she said idly, leaning on a rock and jutting her hip out. "It's nice to know that I was right. Then again, I usually am."

Natsu glanced behind him at Deliora, frozen in ice still and looming over them both like a beacon of doom. It wasn't a pleasant sight to behold, even to Natsu, who had seen his fair share of unpleasant sights. "So what's with the crossdressing act?" he asked, still glancing at Deliora. He looked back at Ultear and asked, "Was Siegrain getting _Zalty_ with you?"

Ultear laughed, sounding a bit startled at the unexpected joke, before calming down. Continuing in her signature calm voice, "Lyon's been fun to play with," she said, smiling. Her eyes held little warmth beyond amusement. "He thinks he can fight Deliora and win. I've simply been indulging him for a few weeks."

Natsu walked forward another few steps so that he was standing in front of her again. His expression remained impassive. "I understand Lyon's crazy plan, but I don't get what you're getting out of this."

Ultear smiled again, that one smile that made it seem like she had the answer to life and death in her hands and no one else was allowed to know. It never failed to infuriate Natsu. "Lyon is free to fight Deliora, of course. That is, if he gets past your angry friend upstairs." She pointed upwards to the throne room, where Natsu could hear the sounds of a scuffle ensuring, and shouts and spells being cast. "But he's not strong enough to actually defeat him, even if he does fight him." Ultear's smile became slightly smugger, if that was even possible. "I just happen to know a spell that will bind Deliora's will to my own."

Natsu froze, his blood running cold. "You want this demon to control it?" he asked, and Ultear shifted, crossing her arms. "That's the stupidest thing I've heard all day, and I spent a while listening to the masked creep."

"With Deliora in our control, we will be able to protect our citizens far more effectively! Demons have untold powers at their advantage that humans don't!" Ultear said, her voice imploring. At the same time, the floor underneath Natsu's feet started to shift. Instinctively, he teleported a few feet away, and he glanced over to where he'd been standing – a giant hole was all that was left of the floor. Ultear was smiling. "My, my. You are quick on your feet, Natsu-kun," she praised, conjuring up a crystal ball from nowhere. It floated in the air beside her ominously.

"I don't care if Deliora would be used to guard the king himself," Natsu spat viciously, starting to get riled up the calmer Ultear stayed. Judging by the way she smiled, she knew that and enjoyed watching it. "That demon doesn't leave this island! Binding spells would never work on one of Zeref's demons, and I won't risk the country because you decided it was a good idea!"

"It was actually Siegrain's idea," Ultear corrected conversationally, throwing the crystal ball at him.

" ** _Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!_** Of course it was!" Natsu snarled back. Of course Siegrain would come up with a scheme like that. Knowing him, Siegrain would probably think it was a good idea to use the Etherion cannon for one person. Siegrain was the dangerous mix of over-dramatic and powerfully idiotic. Throwing back a retaliatory fireball, Natsu increased the distance between them, leaping back a few feet, and said, "I'm sorry, Ultear, but I'm going to have to stop you."

Ultear chuckled slightly. "Is that so, Natsu-kun?" she asked. The smashed crystal ball reformed in her hand, and started floating next to her again. Natsu didn't question it. He'd already been expecting it. "Two forms of Lost Magic clashing beneath the beast Deliora, arguably a beast of Lost Magic itself…" She gave a wistful sigh. "What a sight to behold that will be."

Natsu opened his mouth to respond, but a purple glint in the corner of his eye caught his eye. He turned his head slightly, and he froze again. The same magic circles from the first night that they'd discovered Deliora were shining above the tomb of ice, shining the purple Moon Drip down onto the ice and melting it. "Crap," he muttered. A smash on the arm brought him out of his stunned stupor.

"Mind on the fight, Natsu-kun," Ultear reminded, ever-smiling and crystal ball flying between them, forming again. She spoke lightly, as though they were two friends discussing matters amicably over drinks, rather than two combatants engaged in a fight.

Natsu growled, fire forming in his hand, and he launched some at her, all the while thinking about the current situation. Even whilst Ultear was down in the cavern with him, the ceremony was still commencing. That had to mean that there were people up top doing the ceremony.

Ultear dodged the fire attack. "The Moon Drip you see is only being performed by one person, so it isn't especially powerful." Her lips twisted slightly. "However, a small nudge is all we need now to make the ice crack, and free Deliora, so it will suffice." As soon as she said that, a large chunk on top of the ice immediately shattered, and Natsu stared, horrified. With the way the ice was melting, it was inevitable that Deliora would be freed that night. However, he needed to get Ultear out of the cavern so he could take care of Deliora.

He sighed, putting his flaming fist down, and looked at the ground. "Is there no way I can get you to leave this island peacefully?" he asked quietly, already half-knowing what the answer would be. Ultear was nothing if not determined.

"I'm afraid not, Natsu-kun," Ultear replied pleasantly, crystal ball still orbiting her like she was its centre of gravity. Natsu sighed again, and ignited his fist.

"I see," he said, more to himself than to her. He looked at her, then shouted, leaping towards her, " ** _Fire dragon's Iron Fist!_** " He'd increased the heat of his body temperature and his flames, making them more powerful so that he wouldn't have to resort to his curses, mostly because he didn't doubt that Ultear would go snooping once she regained consciousness, and as his fist made contact with her jaw, she went flying. She landed in a crumpled heap several feet away from Natsu, not about to get up. Satisfied, Natsu turned back to the demon encased in ice.

The ice was still rapidly melting, and by the sounds coming from upstairs, it sounded as though his friends had discovered that there was someone else still performing the ceremony. He knew that he could, in all honesty, disrupt the ceremony, since Ultear had been removed from the picture, but there wasn't any point to it at the current stage. Either way, the ice was going to melt, and Deliora would be free. Natsu sighed, steeling himself. Not a lot could be done. He stared at Deliora, and he swore he saw those red eyes glint in recognition.

It was time to sort out this extended family mess. Distantly, he cursed his brother for leaving him to deal with this mess.

* * *

Author's note: Hopefully, this is all okay *heart* let me know your thoughts!


	18. Chapter 18

Author's note: New week, new chapter! ^-^ Once again, thank you for the lovely reviews that you leave me. They make me so happy to read and I love them :) I hope this is okay!

* * *

Erza stared at the masses of knocked out enemies surrounding them, sword hanging limply from her hand. Over in the corner, Laxus was casually cracking his knuckles, not having even broken a sweat, and Lucy was looking over at the temple with a frown. Night had long since fallen, and Lucy could understand why she might be worried. Whilst they had been fighting the endless onslaught, it seemed that the ceremony had been started by someone already on the roof. They had to hurry. Shaking herself, she turned to her companions.

"Excellent work," she praised, and Lucy seemed to literally glow like her magic. "Let's head over to the temple."

"Right," Lucy nodded, and Happy flew over to them, his fish-skeleton-sword long since discarded. Where, Erza declined to know. Laxus slowly ambled over, taking care not to tread on anyone that had been downed by his lightning. Erza thought that was simultaneously a careful thing to do and a douchey thing to do. Then again, it was Laxus she was staring at.

"No!" came a voice from behind them, and Erza turned, more sedately than Lucy's rapid spinning on the spot. An old woman had removed her mask, and seemed to be being supported by her son, who was also wearing the same garb as she. Erza frowned, staring at their features. "We won't let you interfere!" the woman insisted, her son nodding in agreement, his face set in a solid scowl.

"Those headpieces…" Erza said slowly, realisation coming to her. Of course, that was where she knew them from. "You people are from the city of Brago." She stared at their faces for another few seconds, ignoring the incredulous looks her comrades were giving her, even Laxus. "And you want revenge for what Deliora did."

The woman's face twisted into a scowl of hurt and anger. "Deliora destroyed our city. It killed our children." Her face twisted even more, and stray tears gathered in her eyes. "We have to destroy Deliora, to avenge our fallen. To avenge our families. _The children that will never grow up!_ "

"I understand your pain," Erza replied, thinking back to her experiences at the Tower of Heaven, and quickly pushing them away with a flinch. Never again. "But bringing Deliora out of that ice won't avenge them. Deliora can't hurt anyone now." The woman and her son seemed to think on her words slightly, and Erza ploughed ahead. "If Deliora is freed, though, there's no telling what harm it could bring to others."

The old woman opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, there was a loud roaring sound coming from the temple. Erza staggered under the sheer weight of the sound, the ground shaking from the tremendous force. To the side, Lucy had fallen against a tree, and even Laxus looked uncharacteristically rattled, hands over his ears and grimacing from the noise.

"My ears aren't ready for this!" Happy yelled, paws around his head as he hovered around Lucy. Erza spun around, staring at the temple. She grimaced at the implications of the sound.

"This doesn't sound too promising," she said, gritting her teeth against the harsh sound.

* * *

Natsu fell to his knees, screeching in pain as Deliora let out a roar as loud as Hell itself. He felt as though his head was going to burst from the pain and pressure, even through the hands that covered his ears. His veins and blood were on fire, causing his brain to melt and limbs to fail. The longer it went on for, the louder he screamed, putting his head to the dirt to try and get some relief from the demon's damn roar. Natsu had been prepared to stand against Deliora, should the ice crack, but he had forgotten how _loud_ Deliora was.

Unfortunately, he was paying the price for that lapse in memory.

" ** _Goddamnit, Zeref!_** " he roared, clutching his ears in agony, cursing his brother in every way he knew how to. If he saw his no-good, wayward big brother again – _when_ , he grudgingly corrected – Zeref was so getting a punch, straight in his stupid smug face.

* * *

Gray looked around as the walls and floor that surrounded them started trembling. A low sound, sounding muffled and beneath the ground, could he heard faintly along with the trembling, and Gray frowned. "Why do I get the feeling that that isn't Natsu?" he asked out-loud, a bad feeling curling in the pit of his gut. He'd known Natsu to be destructive and loud before, but never to the scale of 'ancient-temple-shaking'.

Lyon let out a slightly maniacal laugh off to the side. "The ceremony is finally nearing completion," he informed Gray, all but beaming away like a smug idiot. "The ice that was once sealing Deliora has begun to melt away."

Gray stared at the walls in horror. Ur, he thought, images of his long-gone Master flashing behind his eyes. The thought that Lyon was so callous that he didn't care that Ur was melting filled him with rage again.

"There's nothing you can do. It's too late to stop me!" Lyon declared proudly, gesturing to himself as he did so. He made another gesture, and ice magic began swirling around him. "You and your friends have failed!" Gray stared at him, teeth bared in a scowl. "Do you know how I've dreamed of this day? Since we last saw each other, Gray, I've been learning. Gathering allies who'll aid me." His eyes narrowed, hiding some of the crazed glint. "It was by chance that I discovered this place – an island where you can collect the light of the moon, which was just what I needed!"

He motioned with his hand, and arrows went shooting towards Gray. Gray jumped to dodge them, and Lyon continued on with his monologue. "Of course, it wasn't an easy task, transporting Deliora from Brago to Galuna." More ice arrows, and Gray gritted his teeth as he flung himself to the side as well. "And then there was the issue of waiting three years for the Moon Drip!"

Gray quickly melded a barrier out of ice as more missiles came shooting towards him, and he shot Lyon a glare through the transparent surface. "You've been wasting your time with this for _three years_?"

Lyon's eyes widened, and they took on a maddened look. " ** _Wasting time?!_** " he demanded, shaking slightly. "WHO ARE YOU TO SAY THAT? **_YOU'VE SPENT THE LAST TEN YEARS IN SOME FOOLISH GUILD PIDDLING YOUR LIFE AWAY!_** "

Gray jumped to the side as a giant missile came flying towards him, and he sent Lyon another pained look. A flash of anger had shot through him at the insult to his guild, and he sent Lyon a heated glare. "Because I put my faith in what Ur told me!" he retorted hotly, landing neatly. Lyon's eyes widened again, and Gray knew instantly that he was recalling Ur's words: **_in the Western countries, there are lots of wizards more powerful than me_**. "So I went West, and eventually made it to Fairy Tail. And she was right! The guild was so full of powerful wizards that I couldn't believe it!" Gray thought of Master Makarov, Gildarts, Mirajane with her Satan Soul, Erza, and, though he was loathe to admit it, Natsu. "When I first got there, I asked the Master if he knew a way to undo the iced shell, and he said that he didn't, that any attempt would be tantamount to killing Ur." Gray looked away for a second, caught up in memories. "I didn't know it at the time, but I bet the old man was thinking about the Moon Drip when he said that."

He refocused his gaze on Lyon, eyes hardening. "After _everything_ that Ur did for us, you'd kill her without a second thought." It wasn't a question. "You're a crap excuse for a human being."

"Say what you will, I don't care," Lyon replied, smiling like it was nothing. "I've been living for this day!" He suddenly lunged forward with a frenzied look in his eyes. "Ur is long dead, and if we want to prove that we have surpassed her, then what better way than to defeat Deliora!" Lyon started flinging more ice missiles towards Gray, and Gray leapt to dodge them again, growling. "Think about it! _If I can bury Deliora, the one thing to defeat our Master, then I'll have finally surpassed her!_ "

"While that's pretty ambitious," Gray snarled, dodging incoming blows from Lyon's now-ice covered fist. "But I think you mighta missed the point somewhere along the way!" Quickly summoning an ice sword, he smashed Lyon's ice gloves into pieces. The look of complete disbelief on Lyon's face was everything. "Someone as blind as you could never be better than Ur! Not now, and not ever!"

Without really thinking, Gray sliced between them with the sword, fully intent on ending their battle there and then. To his surprise, though, Lyon instantly fractured and shattered, and Gray stared. One of Lyon's ice decoys. Of course. He heard Lyon advancing from behind before he turned around.

" ** _Ice make: snow tiger!_** "

Gray turned in time to see a giant tiger made of snow and ice leap into existence, and he stared at it as it approached, sword hanging loosely at his side. As it was right above him, he leapt up above it, and yelled out, " ** _Ice make: prison!_** " As quickly as the snow tiger had appeared, a giant cage of solid ice appeared around the tiger, and Gray landed on top of it, staring down at Lyon impassively.

"You see this, Lyon?" he asked, gesturing downwards to the tiger fighting to escape the cage. "This is what you are. A wild beast who knows nothing of the world!"

Lyon's face contorted into rage. "Utter nonsense! I'll make quick work of that spell of yours!" He started gesturing with his fingers towards the imprisoned tiger, causing the tiger to go wild, smashing itself against the bars. To Lyon's apparent shock and disbelief, though, the bars didn't budge, let alone break.

Gray leapt down from the top of the cage, landing neatly in the middle of it and Lyon. "Single-handed spellcasting is too unbalanced!" he said coldly, not moving for a moment and just observing Lyon. "That's why it's bound to fail you at critical times. It doesn't have the power it needs to be stable!" Smashing his hands together, a swirl of magic started forming around him, and Gray shouted, " ** _Ice cannon!_** "" Immediately, the cannon fired towards Lyon, who stood there screaming. The following blast told Gray that the ice missile he'd used in the cannon had gone through the wall. Well, it wouldn't be a Fairy Tail mission without the wrecking of an ancient temple.

The dust cleared, revealing Lyon in a sorry state of disrepair and looking dead on his feet. If the way his eyes were blanking out and the way his jaw was hanging halfway towards the ground, Gray guessed he was going to topple over at any given moment. "Ur taught us that, remember?" he finished, releasing a breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Lyon continued to tremble on the spot, before finally managing to gasp out a shaky, " _Gray…_ " and keeling over.

Gray relaxed his stance, breathing more easily now that Lyon was finally down for the count. As his muscles in his torso relaxed and the adrenaline started to ebb away with his anger, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach. Oh yeah, that was right. He'd taken one of Lyon's ice creations straight through the torso, which wasn't generally recommended. Quickly, he put a hand to the wound and ice immediately started flowing over it, sealing it up and acting as a more permanent ice pack in one fell swoop. "Man, I should have sealed this up earlier," he muttered to himself. So much for being smarter than flames for brains.

There was a rustle of leaves from outside, where the ice cannon had made the hole in the wall, and Gray turned to look at it. A second later, he heard it. The all-encompassing sound of a demonic roar, so loud that it sent the hairs on the back of Gray's neck on edge and his ears on fire. The roar shook the ceiling, the ground and the walls, and he looked around in horror. He'd recognise that roar anywhere; it had haunted his dreams for the last ten years, after all.

"That sound…" he said slowly, staring up at the ceiling. Unbidden, memories of Brago flashed before his eyes, of Ur giving up her life so he could live. "I can never forget that sound." He clenched his fist tightly, whether from anger or anxiety, Gray didn't know.

"Deliora," Lyon whispered from the ground, confirming Gray's thoughts.

"They did it," Gray said, slightly bewildered as his thoughts caught up with him. "They actually revived it." Gray steeled himself, and looked towards the door of the destroyed throne room. _There's only one thing I can do now._

* * *

Lucy stared around in fear, at the broken temple walls that surrounded them and at the bits of dirt and dust flying off them as the roar and trembling didn't stop. "What the heck was that noise?!" she asked, voice going squeaky from fear. Somewhere to the left, Laxus was looking around, looking pained by the noise. "It sounded like some kinda monster!"

"It's probably just your stomach, Lucy!" Happy informed her cheerfully, arms together like he was some kind of goddamned peace-loving monk. Like that cat had ever loved peace in his life. Happy lived to make Lucy's life some sort of weird Hell.

"You know, you're not half as funny as you think you are," Lucy said flatly, giving him a sideways glare.

"That's what I've been saying for years," Laxus threw in from the side, going ever-so slightly green as the temple swayed and trembled again. Happy's wings appeared again and he flew over to Laxus, and Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. At least she wasn't going to be tormented by a devil cat anytime soon.

"You're just sore about the boulder incident," Happy said, smiling away serenely. Lucy had no idea what the 'boulder incident' was, but judging by the way that Laxus's face tightened, he had a very good idea as to what Happy was talking about.

Instead of gracing Happy with a reply, though, he just turned away with a light, " _Tch_."

"Do you think that sound might have been Deliora?" Erza asked, abruptly bringing them back down to Earth. Of course, Lucy remembered. They were in a temple because of a giant demon encased in ice. Although judging from the sounds of things, Deliora was no longer so encased in ice, and that spelled bad news for the rest of them. Lucy wasn't about to pin her hopes on some guy that called himself the _Cold Emperor_ to defeat a demon of Zeref.

"You mean… _they brought it back to life?!_ " Lucy shrieked, hands on her face as she thought about all of the possible ramifications. Oh gods, she was never getting off this island alive. She was never going to see the rest of the guid again, or go on any more job requests again. _She was never going to get a boyfriend and she was going to die_ _ **single**_ **.**

"Technically, it was never dead," Laxus pointed out from the side, arms back to being crossed over his chest. Lucy snapped her head around to glare at him.

" _No one asked you!_ " she snapped, forgetting for a moment that she was yelling at Laxus Dreyar, S-Class wizard with a short-fuse for a temper. Laxus ignored her, in any case. A flash of purple caught her eye, and she turned her head. In the centre of the temple were purple circles, like the ones they'd seen the first night they'd discovered Deliora. Lucy froze.

"See that purple light?" Happy asked, gesturing towards it with one paw and a serious expression. "That's the Moon Drip!"

Laxus stared up at the light, frowning. "We took out all of the minions outside, though," he said slowly, as though he was going over everything that might possibly make sense in his mind as he talked.

"While that's true, there's still someone up there performing the Moon Drip," Erza said, her tone like solidified steel. "Which means that they haven't fully revived it yet – "

"Which means we have a chance to stop it," Laxus finished, eyes shining with understanding. He clenched his fists and steeled his gaze, which was more than slightly intimidating. "We can leave the 'how's and 'why's until later. Right now, we need to stop an idiot from reviving a demon."

With that, he and Erza took off running towards the stairs that led to the roof of the temple, where they'd seen the ceremony being performed before. Lucy stared after them for a moment, dumbfounded, before her brain caught up with her, and she pointed at the ground. "Deliora's _below_ us!" she pointed out, and Laxus shot her an irritated look over his shoulder.

"Weren't you listening, Blondie?" he snapped, lightning crackling dangerously around him for a brief second. In that brief second, the area around him was lit up in a pure white glow. "We're stopping the _ceremony!_ "

Erza glanced back at her as well, and shouted, "Come on! We've got to hurry!"

Lucy paused for a moment, unsure of what to do, because if the sound they'd heard before was Deliora, would stopping the ceremony be enough now? If he was far enough out to be roaring away into the good night (or, in Deliora's case, the good, dark cavern), _could_ the ceremony be stopped? She shook her head and let out a breath, and decided to think on all that later, and quickly hurried after her comrades, Happy hot on her trail. They had a demon to stop.

It didn't take them long to reach the top of the temple, not when they were all running at breakneck speeds. Lucy was admittedly out of breath by the time she got there, and she hang onto a stray bit of broken wall whilst Laxus strolled up to the guy with dog ears – _seriously_ , Lucy thought to herself, _of all the people to be left standing_ – and tapped him on the shoulder. Apparently, Laxus and Dog Ears had met before, because Dog Ears took one look at Laxus, instantly paled, and let out a loud shriek. Laxus waved a hand nonchalantly, and a stray lightning bolt struck him on the head, and Dog Ears fell to the ground, very thoroughly unconscious.

It was all rather anticlimactic, in Lucy's opinion. Pushing that thought away, she turned with the others to the purple magic circles. "So the Moon Drip should stop any minute now?" she asked, staring at the magic circles. Laxus grunted, cracking his knuckles and looking like he wanted to fight the magic circles. Almost like it heard them, the magic circles started to decrease in size before vanishing completely, leaving no trace of the behind. Erza continued to stare at where they had been, a dark look on her face that Lucy didn't like.

"So this guy was doing it all by himself?" Happy asked, looking at the fallen Dog Ears. Laxus made a snorting sound but said nothing otherwise.

Dog Ears suddenly turned onto his back and spat out, "Too late! It's over! The ceremony's already been completed!"

Lucy gasped, eyes widening in horror, and as if on cue, a bright green light suddenly shot out of the centre of the temple, where the purple magic circles had been previously. Lucy covered her eyes with her arm, flinching against the brightness of it. There was another roar, this one louder than the last, and she lowered her arm, heart beating erratically in her chest. "Oh no," she murmured.

So they'd failed. Deliora was revived.

* * *

Natsu forced himself to stand, growling as the force of Deliora's roars were close to knocking him off his feet, and also driving him insane with the pain in his ears. In the corner of the cavern, Ultear still hadn't moved a muscle. That was good, he thought. He didn't need her getting in the way of things if they turned ugly, which, knowing Deliora, could very easily happen. Hell, all Deliora had done since waking up was roar. Natsu wrinkled his nose. To think, Deliora was technically an Etherious as well… it made him sick.

That thought sobered him up quickly. Like with Lullaby, Deliora was his responsibility to deal with. Thinking of the pain that Gray had gone through because of this beast before him, Natsu felt a pang of guilt in his chest.

"I might not be responsible for killing his family," he murmured to himself, clenching his fists. Unbidden, black, web-like markings appeared on his right biceps, with another marking appearing on the opposite arm like a long glove. At the same time, a black, mask-like marking had also appeared over his eyes. "But _I'm_ the reason why you were created, and that means I have to take you out." His eyes narrowed at the demon before him. A noise from behind him alerted him to someone else's presence, and he sniffed the air.

So Gray had managed to get passed the psycho masked freak. Natsu gave Deliora another fleeting look and immediately bounded over to Gray, leaping onto a rock just because he could. "Hey!" he shouted down from his rock, staring down at Gray. "What're you doing here?"

"Natsu?" Gray asked, looking simultaneously shocked and relieved to see him. The thought almost made Natsu laugh. To think there would be a day when the ice princess would be glad to see him. Gray paused, and stared at Natsu's arms. "What's up with your arms?" he asked, sounding almost concerned. "And your face?"

Natsu glanced down at his arms, and he cursed his lack of control. "Oh, nothing," he said airily, waving a hand in what he hoped was reassurance. "Just a demon thing." He managed to force the markings back under control and out of sight, and his face hardened again. "Listen, there's only one thing we can do now,. I'm gonna take out Deliora here and now."

Gray's eyes widened, but before he could say anything, they were both distracted by Lyon, dragging himself in the dirt. "No," he said, still sounding as manic as he did in the throne room. Clearly his beating hadn't knocked any sense into him. "Neither one of you are strong enough! But I will defeat it!"

Gray stared down at him, and there was something almost sympathetic in his eyes. "Lyon..." he sighed, sounding tired.

"I'm going to surpass Ur! _Finally!_ " Lyon said, smile in place and eyes wide. Deliora roared again, and Lyon looked up at it. "I've waited so long for this moment! Ur was strong, but still not strong enough to kill that demon!" Lyon shakily struggled to his feet, teetering on the edge of falling over again. "I'm going to do the one thing Ur never could!" He spread his arms wide. "Finally, my dream will be fulfilled!"

Before he could say anything else, Gray hit him across the back, and Lyon went sprawling to the floor once again. From the looks of things, and from the sounds of his breathing, he wasn't getting back up for the fight. "You've caused enough trouble," Gray said bitterly, and Natsu couldn't agree more. Slowly, Gray turned and started walking towards Deliora. "I'll clean up the mess you've made."

Natsu watched, horrified, as Gray took on the now-familiar stance of iced shell, a look of pure steel in his gaze as he stared up at Deliora. Before Natsu could even move to stop him, Gray yelled out, " ** _Iced shell!_** "

Lyon had apparently woken up, but Natsu paid no attention to his and Gray's exchange, and instead thought about what to do. Drawing up a blank, Natsu slowly moved towards Deliora as well, and moved to stand in front of Gray and the iced shell spell. In any other situation, the look of shock on Gray's face would have been laughable.

"Natsu!" Gray yelled, shocked out of his cool. Natsu gave him a levelling look.

"I told you," he said darkly, "to let me handle this."

"Don't be stupid! Just get out of my way!"

Natsu glared at him. "If I didn't let you do it before, why would I let you do it now?" Before Gray could answer him, Natsu punched through the spell and sent Gray flying backwards a few feet. Satisfied that Gray had been dealt with for at least a little while, he turned back to face Deliora. "I'm not gonna let you go out like that. _Not when I'm the one who should die for Deliora's sins_." He said the last part softly, so that no one else would hear him, and he glared up at Deliora. "Come and fight me," he murmured.

As if on cue, as if he'd heard their discussion – which wouldn't surprise Natsu in the slightest – Deliora suddenly swung into action, gigantic fist clenched and ready to smash whoever it hit into pieces. Natsu glared up, and fire erupted around his fist. Without thinking about it, he leapt up to meet the fist in mid-air, shouting, " ** _Fire Dragon's Retribution!_** " Distantly, he could hear Gray screaming his name, but he ignored it as his fist came into contact with Deliora's.

The resultant blast was blinding even to Natsu. **_Retribution_** was one of his most powerful spells, and who knew what effects it would have being used against Deliora like that. Taking advantage of the brightness, and counting on everyone being momentarily blinded, Natsu leapt up onto Deliora's body and bounded up the giant arm, onto the shoulder, and finally onto the skull.

Another quick look around, and Natsu muttered, " ** _End_**." The same black flames that had been used to take out Lullaby erupted from his fist and shot downwards into Deliora's skull, causing the beast below him to shriek as though hell itself was being ripped open. As quickly as he'd ascended onto Deliora's skull, Natsu leapt off it again, mind reeling at what he'd just done. After a moment, the flash cleared, and Natsu landed, feeling significantly more drained than before with a dull ache in his hand, and he watched as Deliora literally crumbled into dust before him.

"What? No way!" Lyon spluttered out from the side as Deliora's arms slid down into the water, followed by its head. "But that can't be!" The sound of shaky breathing, then, "Deliora was already dead!"

Natsu stared at the spot where Deliora had just been standing a moment ago, mind sluggish all of a sudden.

 _It never gets any easier._

"For the last ten years, Ur has slowly drained the demon's life force," Lyon said, face in the ground. He sounded very defeated all of a sudden, and he smashed a fist into the ground, sending a spray of fine dust flying everywhere. "And what we just saw was nothing more than its last _dying breath_." Another fist smash. "My dream is dead. There's no hope now."

"Maybe it's time to find a new dream, then," Natsu commented absently, head starting to ache massively. The stench of Deliora, with the ice gone, was almost overwhelming. He turned his head enough to glance at Lyon, still lying prone on the ground, looking utterly lost and defeated. "I don't think your Master would have wanted you to go chasing demons." He turned to Gray and grinned. "Your teacher was pretty awesome!" And he meant that wholeheartedly. To have sacrificed her life for her students, to have drained Deliora of its life… That was one truly awesome wizard.

Gray started tearing up, whether from happiness or sadness, Natsu couldn't tell. "You saved my life again," he choked out, hand over his eyes. "Thank you, Ur."

Natsu wandered over to him and awkwardly hovered around his shoulder, unable to do anything. Sure, they were friends, but Gray, like Natsu, was also a male, and it was a well-known fact at the guild that Males Didn't Do Affection. Still, after a moment, he awkwardly placed a hand on Gray's shoulder in what he hoped conveyed comfort. Judging by the small, watery smile he got in return, Gray understood the message. After a few more moments, the three of them slowly, and painfully, made their way out of the cavern. Natsu's eyes flicked towards where Ultear had landed during their altercation, but she was gone.

Outside, Laxus, Erza (what was she doing here anyway? Did Erza arrive with one of them and he just not notice?), Lucy and Happy were waiting for them. Somewhere further down, and looking warily at the Fairy Tail wizards, Natsu spotted Lyon's companions. Grinning, he made a beeline for his own comrades, energy momentarily restored.

"Hey, Lucy!" he greeted cheerfully, slinging an arm around her shoulders. A second later, he felt something small and furry smash into his other arm with a cry of, " _Natsu!_ "

"Hey, pal," he greeted Happy, relieved to see his best friend unharmed. He turned to Lucy excitedly, who seemed to be trying to work out a way to get out of his shoulder-hold. "I heard that you took out that pink-haired girl on your own! Awesome job!"

Lucy started, eyes widening and blushing slightly. "Oh no, it was nothing! Really!" she said quickly, suddenly breaking free of the hold and gesturing wildly, smiling awkwardly. She paused. "How did you find out about that?" she asked suspiciously, and Natsu rolled his eyes.

"I'm a great listener," he deadpanned, voice flat. Laxus just snorted but said nothing. Natsu opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by Gray's return to the group. He waved a greeting.

"Lyon seems to finally be getting his screwed back on straight," Gray informed them, sounding beyond relieved that the entire thing was over. Natsu couldn't blame him.

"So there's no chance that something like this will ever happen again?" Erza asked suspiciously, hand drifting near the hilt of her sword. Gray shook his head.

"None. I think he's learned his lesson." He turned back to Natsu, expression going uncharacteristically serious, even for Gray. "Natsu…" he started, sounding like he didn't know where to start. "Back down there, with Deliora. You said something that I can't stop thinking about." Natsu froze, blood freezing. "Something about deserving to die for Deliora's sins?"

Laxus gave Natsu a dangerous look that told him they'd be having words about that later. Everyone else looked confused, and quite concerned. Natsu sighed, running a hand through his hair. Well, he couldn't really keep this part of himself a secret forever, he supposed. They'd have to find out sooner or later.

"Okay," he said slowly, more to anchor himself than anything. "I told you before that Deliora is a demon of the Book of Zeref, right?" At the nods he got, he sighed and continued. "A demon of Zeref is called an Etherious, because it's made of pure magic." He paused again. Breathed deeply. "Which brings me onto my full name." He got three confused looks, and he barrelled on, wanting to get it over with. He stared down at the ground. "My full name is Etherious Natsu Dragneel, or E.N.D for short. Zeref only created the other demons so he could learn how to create me." He smiled, slightly bitter. "Well, he said _create_ was an ugly word. I used to be human, you know? Zeref did all this just to resurrect me."

"Natsu…" Lucy began softly, uncertainly, but he continued talking. He needed to say one last thing before facing their judgement.

"It's my fault that the other demons even exist," he said, "so that's why I have to be the one to destroy them." He sighed again, and finally lifted his head to look at his comrades, more specifically at Gray. "If you don't want to be around me anymore, I totally understand – "

He was cut off from saying anything else as Gray abruptly punched him in the face, sending him flying backwards a few feet. It wasn't enough to knock him off his feet, but it was enough to stun him into silence. He looked at Gray's face, expecting to find anger, but instead found a steady calm, a strange acceptance.

"I don't care about any of that," he said, voice steady as solid ice. "I don't know what's going on in that ash-filled brain of yours, but it's not your fault that the other demons exist, or that Deliora happened. Deliora killed my parents, _not you_." He glared at Natsu then, and Natsu was surprised by the intensity of it. "And I don't get to die for my friends, _then neither do you!_ "

Struck dumb, face stinging from the punch, Natsu could only nod, stunned into silence. The silence stretched across the entire group for a moment, before Laxus decided to take action.

"Come on, idiots," Laxus grunted, moving forward and grabbing Natsu by the upper arm to steer him into walking. "We should get back to the villagers."

* * *

Author's note: So, that was that. Nearly at the end of the Deliora arc :) Hopefully, this was okay. Please let me know what you thought!

Oh, a little **PSA** : I'm not gonna be able to update next week (or possibly the week after, but we'll try for a mid-week update *fingers crossed*) because I'm away on holiday, and trying to update this on my tablet would be a nightmare. So, in the meantime, if anyone wants to throw any fic-related questions at me - y'know, plot points, headcanons, etc - feel free to do so at my tumblr (fireandkeys)!


	19. Chapter 19

Author's note: New chapter time! So, it's been a couple of weeks since the last one. Things have happened in the manga since then.

Since a couple of people have brought this up before, I figured I'd answer this now (especially now, actually, in light of last week's and today's chapters): Larcade/Rahkeid/whatever the hell you want to call him doesn't exist in this version of FT. For one, I started writing this a while before Larcade was introduced, so I didn't have him in mind, and just because I'm not really digging his whole storyline, if I'm honest. His magic and everything just creeps me out, tbh.

Alright. Now that that's off my chest, I hope that this is okay!

* * *

During the long walk back to the temporary area where the villagers were staying, the small group found themselves steadily moving slower as time went on, their movements becoming sluggish. Erza found herself taking the lead. The atmosphere, which had been so charged before, now felt drained, both from their various battles and from Natsu's revelation.

Erza's head had been going around in circles, making her lose her usual composure, albeit mentally. She'd never let it show, of course. Knowing that Natsu was linked to the same person who was responsible for the existence of the Tower of Heaven – which she knew to be called the R-System – felt like… Well, she didn't know what it felt like. Maybe a slap in the face? A dousing of ice cold water over her entire body? After her childhood in _that_ place, it was very difficult to see anything of Zeref's as 'good'. How could anything of Zeref's be ' _good_ ', when whatever had been in the Tower of Heaven had taken away Jellal?

But then, hadn't she grown up with Natsu? She hadn't known about the… what had he called himself? Etherious? She hadn't known about all of that when they were children, when she was more damaged than she was now, and they were friends, weren't they? And Gray's family had been killed by another of Zeref's demons, and he knew the difference between true evil and Natsu. And it seemed that Laxus and Happy already knew about it, given their lack of reaction to it.

Erza mentally sighed, and she surreptitiously glanced back at the others over her shoulder. She knew Natsu hadn't changed, it was just her being paranoid.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings, and she only eyed where they were when Lucy suddenly burst out, "Hey! Where is everyone?!" Erza looked around. They were back in the villagers' makeshift camp, where she'd first seen Gray, and she frowned. It seemed to be completely devoid of villagers, but all of the tents that they had been using were up and fine.

"Are you _sure_ they came here?" Natsu asked dubiously, poking his head in one of the tent flaps. Lucy grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back out.

"No, they went to another one," Gray retorted waspishly, not looking at him.

"Then why did we come back here?!" Natsu demanded seriously, and Gray was in front of him within a second, glaring. Erza blinked, before scowling.

"Did Zeref replace your brains with ash when he resurrected you, or were you always this dumb?!" Gray demanded, looking for all the world like he wanted to punch Natsu in the face again. Natsu just gave him a look and walked past him, Looking ticked off, Gray's eyebrow twitched for a moment, before launching towards Natsu, yelling, " _NATSU!_ "

Before either of them could hit one another, Laxus stepped in and separated the two, looking very put out at having to play the impromptu wall again. He sighed, then gave the two a dark look. "We need to find the villagers now, and you two being – _you two_ – isn't helping." Gray gave him a dirty look, and Natsu ignored him.

"Where do you think they could have gone?" Happy asked, on the subject of the seemingly missing villagers. He activated his Aeromagic and flew beside them as they started walking down the abandoned tents. He flew over to another part of the camp, and suddenly yelled, " ** _HELLO!_** "

"Try yelling louder. I don't think they heard you in Magnolia," Lucy griped, giving Happy a sidelong look. Gray walked past them into what Erza remembered to be the medical supplies tent.

"I'm gonna grab bandages and some medicine," he told them, looking back over his shoulder for a second as he quickly assessed them all. "Anyone need anything?"

Erza shook her head, and quickly inspected her former fighting partners. "We're all fine," she replied, and Gray turned his attention to Natsu. Or, more specifically, his hand. Erza eyed it as well, and she could see why Gray might say something about it. It looked as though Natsu had gone punching through mountains, leaving the skin red, raw and bloodied, with a fine trickle of blood slowly oozing from a gash near his knuckles.

"Natsu?" Gray tried, waving a bandage for emphasis. Natsu gave him a blank look, and in the corner of her eye, Erza saw Laxus sigh.

"What?" he asked, and Gray looked like he wanted to punch him once again.

"You need a bandage. For your hand," Gray informed him slowly, sounding as though he was speaking through gritted teeth and barely holding back his annoyance. Natsu glanced down at his hand and looked a bit surprised at the state of it, as though it was the first time he had noticed it.

"Don't worry about it," Natsu said airily, waving his good hand. "It's only a scratch."

Gray stared at him. "Your hand is half hanging off."

"Nah, it's fine, man. Dragon slayers heal really fast."

Gray opened his mouth, expression like he was about to argue against Natsu's claims about the mysterious qualities of dragon slayers – Erza couldn't really say either way. The only slayer she knew was Natsu, and he wasn't a good example for anything, slayer or otherwise. Before he could get a word out, though, a voice interrupted them from the side with, "You finally made it back!" They all turned as one to the voice, and found a villager, looking harried but relieved to see them. "There's something you need to see!" Erza glanced around at her comrades, and saw that they looked just as bemused as she was. "Please, follow me to the village!"

They all glanced at each other, a look passing between them, before turning back to the man and nodding quickly. A look of relief passed over the villager's face, and he turned and started to lead the group back through the trees. Erza lead them in silence, frowning at the ground every so often as she thought about the possibilities for why the villager had come to collect them. As far as she was aware, their village had been destroyed by Lyon's group, so why was he leading them back there?

The answer became blindingly obvious within a short time. Where there should have, Erza assumed, been smouldering ruins of a small village, there was instead a small, bustling village, packed full with the villagers she'd seen from the temporary camp she'd been in earlier. Erza stared, and out of the corner of her eye, she could see everyone else doing the same.

"What," Laxus said, not phrasing it as a question as he stared at the village, crossing his arms and looking unamused at the turn of events. Lucy looked around, wide-eyed.

"Whoa! Are you kidding me?!" she asked, sounding slightly breathless. Erza couldn't blame her. From how she'd described it, the village had been completely obliterated, leaving no trace of it behind, and beyond repair.

"What's going on here?" Natsu asked, walking over to a nearby house and banging on the wall. The resultant noise made them all cringe – Erza could just see Natsu accidentally breaking someone's wall in. A few seconds later, he stopped and looked way too thoughtful, so much so that Erza was worried. "It's like the village went back in time…" As soon as the words left his mouth, his expression became suspicious, but he said no more.

* * *

Lucy's eyes continued to dart around the newly restored houses as she wandered through the village, mind whirring with unanswered questions. She was heading over to the other side of the village, where their stuff had been left before they'd headed over to the temporary camp. Hopefully, that was still intact as well.

Her eyes widened as she approached the area, eyeing the chief kneeling before a familiar stone. "Bobo's grave has been restored," she murmured to herself. She stared for a moment, silent, then smiled. "I'm so glad. I'm sure the chief must be relieved, as well." She hovered for another moment, unsure of what to do, then slowly wandered over to the chief. At her approach, the chief turned and looked over his shoulder at her.

"You and your friends used magic used magic to restore our village, didn't you?" the chief questioned, and Lucy found herself at a loss of how to answer that. Whilst she could say that she and her friends had restored the village, she wouldn't feel right lying about it, and her mother had always taught her not to lie, after all…

"Ah, well, sir, that's not…" Lucy floundered, trying to find the words to convey her thoughts, but the chief spoke over her, saving her from the trouble.

"I can't tell you how much I appreciate it!" he said, standing up and facing her. Lucy stopped, staring at him in shock. The chief's expression became more intense. "However, I must know something. **_When are you wizards going to destroy the moon for us?!_** "

The sound of approaching footsteps averted both of their attentions to the side. "Destroying the moon is a simple task," Erza answered him, quite calmly and with a straight face. Lucy stared at her, only just managing to keep her jaw from dropping to the ground in a mix of exasperation and shock because. _What. Was. Erza. Thinking?_ Judging by the looks on Gray's and Laxus's faces, they were having similar reservations about Erza's way of thinking, or lack thereof.

"What the – did she just say that with a straight face?" Gray asked, unintentionally voicing Lucy's thoughts aloud. Laxus continued to stare.

"That's it. She's gone. All of the She-Demon's beatings from when we were kids have finally taken their toll on her," he said, sounding the slightest bit shaken underneath the unimpressed demeanour. Who knew he had emotions besides rage and irritation?

"Aye. She seems to have gone crazy," Happy agreed with them both, hovering over Gray's shoulder worriedly. "I vote we give up Lucy as a sacrifice."

Lucy snapped her head around to glare at Happy. "Why am I the sacrifice?!" she demanded, hands on her hips, near to her whip in case she needed to send an irritating blue cat flying. "Wait! Why does there even need to _be_ a sacrifice!?"

Happy just stared at her like he thought she was being dumb, and that made her even more annoyed. Like she was the stupid one when he was the one going on about sacrifices to Erza. "Because the Great God Erza has been angered and needs a sacrifice to appease her, _duh_!" he explained helpfully. Lucy's eye twitched, and Laxus shot her a _you see what I put up with in the name of friendship?_ look.

Erza continued on as though she hadn't heard them. Then again, knowing her, she probably hadn't. Lucy was beginning to suspect Erza had some form of selective hearing going on.. "But before I do that, I need to ask you all a few questions. Would you be so kind as to call everyone together for a meeting?" She asked it pleasantly enough, but the glint in her eye let everyone around her know that it wasn't a question, and the chief wasn't stupid enough to question that. Moving away from the gathered wizards, he hurried to gather the villagers together, ready to listen to whatever insane plan Erza had concocted.

Within maybe ten minutes, the entire population of the village was standing in the village centre, the wizards before them and Erza between them like a dividing line. Lucy noted that since Natsu had turned up again, he still looked thoughtful, like he couldn't figure something out.

"Yeesh, looking at you trying to think is just making my brain hurt," Gray said, wincing as he looked at Natsu and took in the expression. Without so much as a glance his way, Natsu absently flicked his hand towards Gray, sending a small burst of flames hurtling towards him. With a yelp, Gray dove out of the way, crashing to the ground, but still managing to end up with a singed shirt.

Lucy covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

" _You liiike him_ ," said a high, irritating voice in her ear, and Lucy screeched, jumping about five feet in the air in shock. She spun around, hand going to her whip, and scowled at the sight of a laughing blue cat. As her heart rate began to slow down again, Lucy mentally swore to get revenge on that scheming ball of fur one day.

"Let me make sure I have my facts straight," Erza said to the villagers, bringing them all back to reality. "The first time that everyone in the village began to take on demonic forms is when the moon began to turn purple. Is that correct?"

" _Natural_ demonic forms," Natsu quickly interrupted, smiling beatifically like interrupting Erza wasn't treading on thin ice.

"Yes," the chief nodded. "During the day, we fine, but when the moon comes out we transform into what you see now."

"If it's only when the moon comes out, that should mean that you're only demons for a couple of days out of the month though, right?" Laxus pointed out, shifting on his feet slightly. The villagers looked at each other, not saying anything. "It should be similar to cursed abilities like weretigers back on the mainland, who only transform under the moonlight." Again, no one said anything, and Laxus's irritation seemed to be growing. "Seriously, has no one ever heard of the Lunar Cycle?" He turned and looked at Lucy. "You like all that star crap. Please tell me you've heard of it, blondie."

Lucy stuttered at being put on the spot for such an odd question. "Well, yeah, of course – "

Laxus ran a hand over his face, "Thank Ishgar."

Timidly, a villager raised their hand. "Well, er, see, the moon is different on Galuna than on the mainland, Mister Lightning Sir."

Laxus's eye twitched, and he stared at the man for a long moment. "We have the same moon. _It's the same moon everywhere_."

"Whether or not Galuna's moon is related to the mainland's moon," Erza continued on, casting Laxus a heated glare for interrupting her, "the moon first turned purple three years ago, right?" The villagers began murmuring their affirmations, and Erza continued, starting to pace. "We've learned that the Moon Drip ceremony has been performed on this island every night for the last three years. And each night it produced a beam of light that you couldn't possibly have missed it."

As she paced, she suddenly stepped on some leaves, and fell through the ground. Lucy, Laxus, Gray and Natsu all stared in horror as she fell into the pitfall that Lucy had created before their respective fights with Lyon's comrades, letting out a small, high pitched scream.

"She screamed… like a _girl_ ," Laxus muttered, staring at the trap like he couldn't believe it was Erza who fell through.

"Yeah…. And it was _cute_ ," Gray agreed, looking pained to be agreeing on it.

"I'm so gonna be dead!" Lucy wailed loudly – and not dramatically, thank you very much, slapping her hands to her face and not daring to look away from her failed pitfall trap. Of all the times for her trap to work, it had to be on Erza. Seconds later, Erza was pulling herself out of the trap, and she continued on as though nothing untoward had occurred. Lucy blinked, and she breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the universe for sparing her from Erza's wrath.

"Seriously, didn't you ever wonder where that light was coming from?" she asked, crossing her arms over her armoured torso. Lucy saw the villagers stare at her in shock, apparently not used to people just getting up out of pitfall traps like they were nothing. "I don't understand. Why didn't anyone investigate?"

The villagers began murmuring amongst themselves, looking distinctly uncomfortable, anxious muttering and flitted gazes threw between them. After a few tense seconds, the chief spoke up. "Well, we would have looked into it, but according to Village Lore, our people must _never_ go near that temple."

In the corner of Lucy's eyes, she saw both Erza and Natsu frown for a second, and it almost made her laugh, despite the seriousness of the situation. She forced herself back into reality, just as Laxus grunted out, "If it were me, I wouldn't have cared about some old lore or rules. Not when my people are dying."

Lucy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you obviously knew that there was a problem. That's why you contacted the magic guilds."

The chief stared at them for another second, then looked back at the ground. "Oh, well…" he said, trailing off like he didn't want to say anything else. Erza stepped forward, expression both somehow gentle and stern.

"Why don't you tell us what's really going on here?" she asked softly. The chief looked uncomfortable for a moment, hesitating.

"To be honest," he began to answer, looking around at the villagers gathered around him, "we don't even know that ourselves." Erza's mouth was set in a single lined frown. "Allow me to explain," the chief started to clarify, gesticulating with his hands in the general direction of the temple. "We've tried to investigate the light many times. We take up weapons we've never had to use – I even trim and style my sideburns – and then we venture into the jungle towards the temple. But we could never get near it.

"We'd get close enough that we could see it through the trees, and then suddenly we'd find ourselves back at the village gates," the chief said, and Lucy felt a shiver go down her spine. Compulsively, she turned and looked at her companions. Erza was still frowning, looking thoughtful.

"But – how's that possible?" Lucy asked, turning back to the villagers in confusion. She'd never heard of a defensive spell like that in the books she'd read back in her childhood home, one that transports the intruders safely away from the protected area. "It doesn't make sense."

"Yeah, we got to the temple without any problem at all," Gray added. Lucy gave him a sidelong glare as she noticed that once again, he was shirtless again.

"We didn't say anything to you earlier because we were worried that you wouldn't believe us," another villager spoke up anxiously.

"We're telling you the truth."

"We've tried to go back to the temple other times since then, but no one has been able to get inside." More villagers spoke up, looking as harried as the first one did. Erza was still staring at them, and Lucy noticed that Natsu was staring at them as well, almost pensively.

"I get it. Yes," Erza said finally, voice slow and quiet. Natsu turned to her.

"You know now as well?" he asked cryptically, and Erza raised her eyebrows in surprise for a brief moment, before resuming her usual serious look. Her eyes glinted under the moonlight, giving them an almost dangerous look.

"How long have you – " she started to ask, before Natsu cut her off, stopping her from saying anything that might help Lucy and the others understand. Lucy felt her eyebrow twitch in irritation.

"Since we met them," he shrugged, like whatever they were talking about wasn't a big deal. Erza opened her mouth, and Natsu quickly said, "Dragon nose. Can't fool it." He tapped it teasingly, grinning away like an idiot.

Erza hummed for a moment, eyes distant, before turning back to the others. She regarded them for another minute, looking like she was doing some quick thinking, before turning on her heel and walking away. A light started to shine around her, the tell-tale sign that she was requipping into a different armour.

"Natsu," she said over her shoulder, giving him a look. Whatever they had been talking about before must have made more sense to him, because he immediately started to follow her, hands behind his head and strolling at a more leisurely pace. Lucy and the others stared after them, mouths agape.

"So they can't even tell us what they're doing, huh? Typical," Gray scowled, crossing his arms in a petulant manner.

The two wizards in question turned around at the end of their walk. Erza had finished requipping – the armour was something Lucy had never seen before, bulky and yellow and weighted-looking. The fur trimmings around the edges gave it an almost barbaric look.

"Obviously, we're gonna destroy the moon, icicle," Natsu grinned, slightly demonically as he lit a fist on fire for emphasis. Lucy stared at him, then at Erza, waiting for Erza to tell him that _no, they can't destroy the moon_.

"As I said, destroying the moon is an easy task," Erza affirmed, and the four watchers immediately had their jaws drop to the ground.

"There is no way is not going to end badly," Laxus intoned, staring at them and taking a step backwards. Erza ignored them all and returned her attention to the villagers, who had been staring at them in shock.

"Destroying the moon is the only way to change the villagers back to their human forms," Erza said. The villagers stared at her, hope igniting in their eyes, then bursting like a firework. They began cheering at the prospect of turning back to their human forms and, despite herself, Lucy couldn't help but smile at that. Off to the side, she could hear Laxus mutinously muttering about the Lunar Cycle and 'the one moon'.

"I don't know what they're thinking," Gray said slowly, quietly enough so that even Natsu's hearing couldn't pick it up amongst the cheering.

"My Giant Armour increases my strength and allows me to throw further." She gestured to Natsu, who seemed to be off in his own world. "Natsu's firepower will boost the Spear of Haja, which repels darkness."

"So she's gonna use that spear to knock the moon outa the sky," Natsu said lightly, punctuating it with a yawn. Lucy stared at him in incredulousness.

"As if that's gonna work, flame brain," Gray glared at him. Natsu just gave him a lazy look back, shrugged, then returned his attention to Erza.

"When I'm about to throw the spear, Natsu will hit the back of it with his flames," Erza continued, as though she was talking battle strategies, and not _knocking the moon out of the sky_. Lucy couldn't believe she was hearing Erza talking about destroying the moon with such a straight face. Maybe she'd hit her head in her fight with Pinkie harder than she thought, and she was sleeping, or concussed. "With the added boost of the flames, the spear will have enough power to reach the moon and destroy it."

The two – officially crazy – wizards nodded to each other, and began to walk off, some villagers following them.

"They don't really think they're gonna pull it off, do they?" Gray asked, staring at them like he was seeing them in a new, crazy light. Lucy felt the same way.

"I think they've both gone off the deep end," she muttered, watching them discuss their plan with the villagers. With a heavy sigh and a lot of hesitation, she moved towards her officially crazy friends, the sounds of her non-crazy friends following her giving her some comfort.

* * *

"What's the tallest structure in the village?" Erza asked, throwing the question out to anyone gathered in the crowd. The villagers looked at each other, seeming to do some quick thinking, before someone shouted out, " _The watch tower!_ "

"Could you take us there, please?" she asked, and the villager who answered quickly extracted himself from the crowd and started to lead them to wherever this watch tower was. Erza's thoughts flickered over the night's events, and the fleeting surprise she'd felt when it had turned out Natsu had also known what she'd realised about the villagers, and their true nature. Then again, she supposed, he was a demon himself, and a dragon slayer. It would make some sense that he would realise things before she did.

As the watch tower came into view, she stared up at it, sizing up the trajectory that would be needed for the spear to travel from them to the moon. As she finished her calculations, she felt the irritatingly familiar warmth of Natsu's transportation spell around her, then vanish a second later.

"Natsu," she growled, not caring that she was now on the watch tower and that she hadn't had to climb up the ladder in her Giant Armour, which would have been inconvenient. Natsu just shrugged unapologetically. Sighing, she turned back to the task at hand, looked back up at the moon to confirm her calculations were correct, and raised the spear over her shoulder. Taking the best stance for long distance throws, magic circles appeared around the spear, and, as it geared up to be thrown, she all but yelled out, " _NOW!_ "

She heard Natsu's elated laugh behind her, felt the blistering heat of his flames even through her armour. Almost immediately, the roof above them exploded, leaving particles of white dust to cover their hair and shoulders, and Erza threw it as far as it would go towards the moon, trails of crimson fire boosting it onwards many times over. There was no doubt in her mind that the spear wouldn't make it.

"Holy shit," she heard Natsu mutter from the side. Ordinarily, she would have reprimanded him for his language, but she didn't bother this time. Not when she was thinking the same thing.

The spear seemed to speed up the closer it got to its target, and Erza stared at it intensely, narrowing her eyes as the spear _finally_ made contact with the moon. Upon that contact, there were cheers from below as the villagers celebrated the oncoming destruction of the moon, and it looked like a small burst of light was shining out. A crack appeared across it, followed by another one. The cracks formed a giant spider web across it, and when the cracks reached the sky, the cheers below abruptly stopped. The confusion was rising off of them in waves, like steam off of a warm bath, and it was palpable even from the height Erza was at.

Finally, under the combined pressure of the spear pushing at it, and the cracks still spreading outwards, the sky shattered above them. Small, purple sparkles rained down on them, leaving a clear sky in their wake, and a white moon in the place of the purple moon.

"I never thought I'd see someone shatter the sky before," Natsu laughed, wrapping an arm around Erza's shoulders as they stared up at the sky. The particles of magic continued to rain down on them as the shell that once covered the island slowly broke apart. Natsu glanced at her and grinned. "Knew you had it in ya!"

Erza hummed, giving him a smile in return. After a few moments of simply watching the chaos from above, of people trying to figure out what was going on, the two of them descended into the fray – Erza opting to take the ladder, despite the Giant Armour. As soon as they were there, they were immediately surrounded by the questioning villagers and their comrades.

"What was that?" Gray demanded, pointing up at the sky. Erza glanced up as well. The last remnants of the barrier were breaking away, and she looked back towards the gathered people before her.

"That was merely a shell, of sorts, that covered the island," she explained, trying to keep it as simple as possible so everyone could understand. "As a result of the spell, a noxious membrane was covering the island – the Moon Drip released evil energy in the form of a gas. It then crystallised and formed an invisible shell in the sky that covered the island. That's why the moon appeared to be purple."

As she stopped her explanation of the purple moon, the villagers all began to be surrounded with a golden light. It reminded her of Lucy's celestial spirits, in a way. Which, she supposed, was fair, considering it seemed to be connected to the moon, and Lucy's magic was connected to the stars. The villagers were excitedly murmuring amongst themselves, the prospects of turning human again too much to bear.

"Now that the shell has been broken, everything will go back to how it was three years ago," she finished, just as the golden light engulfed them all. A brief second later, the golden light faded, and to Erza's lack of surprise, the villagers remained unchanged, still standing in their demon forms.

"What's wrong? They're not transforming!" Gray said, looking between the villagers and Erza, eyebrows furrowed.

" _These_ are their true forms, dummy," Natsu said lazily, glancing over at Gray with a _well, duh_ expression. Gray stared at him, looking prepared to contradict him – and fight him – so Erza stepped forward, requipping into her normal, comfortable armour as she did so.

"The Moon Drip never had any effect on their appearance," Erza confirmed, nodding and smiling slightly. "Although it seems to have altered their memories."

"What – what do you mean?" Lucy asked, looking very apprehensively between Erza and the villagers, as though she'd rather not know the answer.

"They think they're humans who have been transformed into demons," Erza supplied. "But it's the other way around."

Gray looked at them, then back at the villagers, as the information sunk in. "So you mean that they're all…" he trailed off uncertainly.

"Yep!" Natsu grinned enthusiastically, bounding over to them. "The reason why they all looked human when you met them is because they're natural demons – meaning that they have the ability to look human!"

"Indeed," Erza nodded. She turned to the villagers, who seemed to be trying to process the information that was suddenly being thrown at them. She could understand that feeling. "Your false memories lead you to believe that your false forms were actually your true forms. In reality, you were demons who had fallen victim to the Moon Drip's side effects."

"So how come Lyon and the others didn't suffer any side effects?" Lucy asked inquisitively.

"I assume it's because they're human," Erza answered, thinking on what the villagers had said previously. "As far as I can tell, demons are the only ones affected. I knew what was going on as soon as the chief said that you couldn't go near the temple. The moonlight collected there was sacred, therefore creatures of darkness couldn't go near it."

There was a moment of silence as Erza let that sink in, and her thoughts drifted to Natsu again. She had just said it herself – creatures of darkness couldn't go near the temple because it was sacred, and yet he had been all over it, despite his self-proclaimed demon status, and the fact that he had been resurrected by Zeref. Had Zeref done something to make him a non-creature of darkness, despite being a demon? Was there such a thing as that? With her thoughts in such a whirlwind, Erza nearly jumped out of her skin when a voice said, "You're quite the detectives."

Erza, and her friends, spun around. Behind them was someone she, and apparently Natsu and Laxus, had never seen before. Judging by Lucy and Gray's faces, though, they knew of him. They looked like they'd seen a ghost. "Thanks, wizards! I owe ya one!" The new _someone_ was another demon wearing a cloak, currently waving at them with a beaming smile in place.

Natsu stared at him, eyes narrowed. "Do I know you?" he asked suspiciously. The demon glanced his way, and Natsu sniffed the air. Lucy let out an alarmed yelp, and Natsu crowed victoriously. "I _do_ know you! You were that guy who told me about this place! I knew that there was something off about your scent!"

The demon stared at him for a long moment, before Laxus just sighed and said, "Don't even bother."

"You're the guy from the boat!" Gray shouted accusingly, pointing at him. Erza looked between them questioningly, sensing a story coming up. She'd never heard how Lucy and Gray had managed to get onto Galuna Island.

"Bobo…" Erza snapped her head at the sound of the chief's broken murmur.

"But I thought you were – " another villager stuttered out, but the unknown demon, Bobo apparently, started laughing and covered his chest for a second.

"Getting stabbed in the chest hurt pretty badly, but you gotta do more than that to kill a demon!" he said loudly, laughing again. To the side, Erza heard Natsu laugh quietly in what seemed to be agreement. Bobo then transitioned into telling his tale about how he didn't have any memory loss from the effects of the Moon Drip and how he had to leave because everyone else was driving him insane, explaining how he'd been able to fool Lucy and Gray into thinking he'd vanished into thin air (he had wings). Bearing witness to the touching reunion between Bobo and his father tugged at her heartstrings, and before Erza knew it, she and her comrades were being dragged along for a celebration, a feast hosted by the villagers.

"There's one thing I still don't get," Gray said, when their small group was out of earshot of the excited villagers, frowning away. He looked at Natsu. "They couldn't go near the temple because they're demons, right?" Natsu nodded. "So how come you could?"

Natsu stared at him like he thought Gray was stupid, and the offence showed on Gray's face. "I thought we already went over this before?" he asked, looking around at them all. When no one answered, he let out a long suffering sigh and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, " _No wonder big brother hates people_." He flicked his eyes back to Gray and let out an exaggerated breath and said, "They're natural demons. I'm an Etherious, a creature that Zeref made from magic particles. Except I have a human body and dragon slaying abilities, like my dragon lungs." He paused for a moment. "I'm not a 'true' demon like they all are. Completely difference species."

Erza nodded, understanding now. At least that was one question that had been plaguing her answered. As the villagers came back for them and swept them up in the festivities – and later, Lyon's comrades as they came by to apologise, as Natsu's infective nature was hard to avoid – Erza couldn't help but smile for the entire night. There were few times when she could let loose with her friends, and she felt that this was one of those few precious times, a memory that she would cherish.

(And it wouldn't hurt to let Gray and Lucy have some fun before dragging them back to Magnolia.)

* * *

Author's note: Alright then, so that's the end of the Galuna Island/Deliora arc. Hopefully, this was okay, so please let me know what you thought!

Also, I don't know if anyone caught them or not, but I threw a couple of Monty Python and Bungou Stray Dogs references in there.

Anyway. Heart you!


	20. Chapter 20

Author's note: Okay, I know I didn't update last week, and I'm so sorry :/ I've been pretty sick, and I'm still sick tbh, but I just wanted to get this uploaded whilst I'm somewhat functional, aha. Also, thank you for all the lovely reviews you all left on the last chapter! They made me really happy to read :)

And yes, Shades of Poison and Taiski, there'll be nalu moments. I'm just trying to keep it at a slow build right now and not rush too much, but I can't resist cute moments

So. The Phantom arc is starting now. Hopefully, this is okay!

* * *

Natsu hummed quietly to himself as he made his way through Magnolia's outskirts, deftly dodging people mainly by smell and sound than anything else. The sounds of the people around him washed over him like a warm blanket, melding together with the warm sun into an indistinguishable buzz. Odd scents caught his attention now and then, the scent of a bakery that nearly took him off track because _holy Ishgar that cake smelled awesome_ , or a fruit vendor on the street, or some _lovely delicious fire_.

"Hey, Natsu?" came Happy's voice. Happy entered his line of sight a second later, white wings flapping away, and Natsu flicked his eyes to him, smiling lazily in response. He hummed in answer, non-verbally urging Happy to continue. "How come we're heading straight home instead of to the guild hall?"

Natsu glanced at him, the passing sign of a nearby magic shop momentarily catching his attention in his peripheral. _I wonder if they sell any of those keys that Lucy likes?_ "We'll be going back soon," he reassured Happy, smiling and placing his hands behind his head nonchalantly.. "We just need to do something first."

There was a light _flump_ as Happy landed on top of his hair, apparently tired of flying. Natsu continued making his way through the crowds, dodging and weaving through the masses of people until they were free of the hustle of the town. Natsu paused in his pace and breathed in the fresh air, allowing himself a moment to appreciate the silence. He smiled slightly. As a dragon slayer, there weren't many times in life when he could appreciate silence – there was always a noise in his ear, and a lot of the time, it irritated him.

No wonder Igneel had been bad tempered sometimes, he thought wryly. He paused again, heart wrenching slightly. The thought of his foster father made his heart strings tug painfully, and he swallowed down the lump in his throat, forcing himself to keep on moving forward. _One day, Dad_.

From the edges of town, there was a less beaten path that led to the forest, just beyond the town. Natsu hummed to himself again as he and Happy set off down that track, the wind brushing his face and the smell of the leaves and trees wrapping around him. Following the path, it didn't take long for the open area around him to turn into giant, towering trees, forcing the sunlight to filter through the canopy above them. Not that it bothered Natsu. He had spent most of his childhood in a forest. If anything, he felt more at home in the forest than he did in Magnolia, sometimes.

In the forest, he could pretend he was still with Igneel.

Shaking that thought from his head for the time being, Natsu made his way to the small cottage – it wasn't a _shack_ , thank you Laxus – in the middle of a small clearing. The sunlight hit it with no hindrances on the way, lighting up the whole area like a beacon, and Natsu smiled. Laxus could pester him about moving into somewhere 'better' all he liked, but to Natsu, there was nowhere better than his own little home.

"Hey, Natsu?" Happy asked, still lying in his hair, not that Natsu minded.

"Yeah, bud?" Natsu replied, just as they reached the door.

"Do we have any fish in?"

Natsu paused, his hand on the wooden door as he thought about their food inventory. "Uh…" he trailed off. His mind immediately flashed back to the night before he, Happy and Laxus had set off to find Deliora, and the amount of food that they'd eaten. While some people might call it 'greed', he and Happy both agreed that it was 'food conservation'. After all, who knew when they'd get a full meal on a mission like a demon hunting one. "Probably?" he eventually answered. Gods, even to himself he sounded sceptical.

Pushing open the door, Natsu welcomed the dark of his home and the familiar smell. What he was not expecting, however, was the scent and thunderous expression of one Laxus Dreyar, standing arms crossed in the middle of his living room.

" _KYAAH!_ " he yelled in surprise, jumping slightly and sending Happy flying. He was not proud to admit that his hair also stood up on end. Laxus's expression remained unchanged. Natsu immediately straightened his expression into a cooler one, and he moved forward into the room, closing the door behind him. Brushing past Laxus, he greeted him with a, "Hey, Laxicle."

He heard Laxus twitch at the nickname, but he didn't rise to the bait. Instead, Laxus turned and gave him a stern, cool look. Natsu absently noticed that his arms were still crossed, and wondered if he'd gotten his muscles stuck like that. "You should know why I'm here," Laxus said seriously. Huh. Laxus taking something seriously meant something had seriously irritated him –

Natsu suddenly remembered the look that Laxus had given him on Galuna Island, after Gray had outed his small confession prior to killing Deliora. The confession that no one was meant to hear. Damnit, Gray, he silently cursed, twisting his face into a lazy, vacant smile. Maybe he could get out of an oncoming lecture.

"Should I?" Natsu asked, grinning away like anxiety was eating away at him inside. He turned briefly and dumped his light rucksack down, and winced at the clattering that sounded from the impact. Laxus's eyebrow twitched, and Natsu internally raised a fist in triumph. "I would have brought you flowers if I'd have known you were gonna be here."

"Natsu – "

"Like a broquet of broses or something."

"NATSU!" Laxus shouted, and Natsu jumped, caught off guard by the sudden noise. His smile faded as he saw how grim Laxus's expression was. "You know why I'm here, so stop avoiding the point." Natsu said nothing, and instead settled for turning to what he'd intended to do before he'd been derailed by Laxus. Sighing, he walked to a shelf full of various things – most of which had nothing in common with one another – and pulled off a crinkled looking book. Opening it, there was a list of Zeref's surviving demons. Natsu's stomach turned at how many names he'd put a strike through, and he crossed out Deliora's name.

"How many times am I going to have to tell you?" Laxus sighed, and Natsu immediately knew what he was talking about. His mind immediately flashed back to four years prior, when he was a fourteen year old who had just passed the S-Class Promotion exam. Who was still consumed with guilt and loss. Those two things didn't make for a good combination.

* * *

 _Natsu sat in the guild infirmary bed, silently debating whether or not to rip the bandages off of his arms and hands. The rough material was beginning to irritate him, and he was fairly sure that his own abilities – both dragon slayer and the_ other one _– could heal him faster than the crazy purple-haired lady. In all honesty, he would have ditched the bed hours, if not days ago, if he could actually walk without staggering into a wall. Or the floor, for that matter. And without general pain across all of his body. He supposed that was what happened when a giant demon threw him into the ground as a defensive attack._

 _At the reminder of his brutal beating – although he had still won, so he counted it as a victory – his whole body ached again, and Natsu sighed, leaning back against the pillows. And immediately wrinkled his nose. For some reason, be it the infirmary or the hospital, pillows in medical places felt like bricks._

 _"_ _You complete **idiot**."_

 _Natsu jumped slightly at the voice, then growled at the shock of pain that wracked his system from the movement. Slowly, he turned his head towards the source and found Laxus leaning against the door, headphones hanging around his neck for once. His face was thunderous, though._

 _"_ _Huh?" was all Natsu could manage, and Laxus's face darkened even more._

 _"_ _You heard me." Laxus pushed himself off of the door and took a step forward. "What were you thinking, going after that demon by yourself? Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"_

 _Natsu averted his gaze to stare straight ahead. "I have to defeat them," he said quietly, resolutely._

 _"_ _AT THE COST OF YOUR OWN LIFE?!" Laxus roared, his tone angered again._

 _"_ _If that's what it takes!" Natsu yelled back, his throat sore from lack of use over the past few days. Laxus didn't understand,_ couldn't _understand this. How could he? Laxus took a few more steps, casting a giant shadow across the floor of the infirmary as he stepped in the way of the sunlight._

 _"_ _And what about everything you've built up here?" he asked coolly, and Natsu froze, blinking. Suddenly, all he could see was the guild hall, the people he'd unwittingly become friends with over the past couple of years. "You're gonna throw all that away for a death wish, punk?"_

 _"I..._ _" Natsu didn't have an answer for that, and for some reason, his heart ached in his chest._

* * *

Natsu smiled slightly as he turned back to Laxus. "At least ten more times," he admitted, slightly self-deprecatingly. "At least until they're all defeated," he amended, and he crossed his own arms in thought for a moment.

Laxus sighed. "And people say I'm obsessive," he muttered under his breath. Natsu still heard him, though, and he shot him an offended look, indicating he'd heard it. "Just – don't get yourself killed, punk," Laxus added, his tone grudging. "I've not put this much work into someone's life since Freed decided he'd be my _squire_." There, he rolled his eyes.

"I won't," he said, hoping his tone came out reassuringly. His mind suddenly flitted back to why he'd come back home in the first place, and he asked, trying to keep his tone innocent, "Do you know anything about a Tower of Heaven?"

* * *

Meanwhile, a few miles away in Magnolia, Gray, Erza and Lucy were slowly making their way through the streets, Gray scowling the whole time. Lucy, on the other hand, had never been happier – except, perhaps, when she'd joined Fairy Tail. Nothing at all could beat the happiness of that day.

"Cheer up, Gray!" Lucy said happily, all but bouncing along, unable to contain her joy. Finally, she had a new zodiac key! She couldn't wait to form a new contact with Sagittarius! "Everything went great on the mission!"

"For you, maybe," Gray groused, glaring at her and shoving his hands in his pockets. His mouth pressed into a thin line. "You actually got a reward. I got nothing!"

"Have you both forgotten," Erza's voice rang out over them, from where she was walking slightly ahead of them, "that you're both still being punished for your breaking of guild rules?" She paused in her step to glare at them over her shoulder.

Lucy stopped dead in her tracks. Punishment? In all the chaos that had happened since Erza had arrived – on a pirate ship, no less! – Lucy had completely forgotten about Erza's threat of punishment. She felt the blood drain from her face. "Punishment? That's still happening?" she squeaked out, suddenly afraid for her life.

Erza regarded her coolly. "You didn't think I'd forgotten, did you?" The question might have been teasing from anyone else, but the way Erza delivered it made it sound like a death sentence. Lucy wanted to run away and hide in the nearest cave, where Erza couldn't find her. Or maybe Virgo could dig her a hole for her to hide in. Turning, Erza began to walk forward again and, with worried looks at one another, Gray and Lucy followed her in silence, not daring to speak.

When they reached one of the busiest streets in the town, where the market was usually set up, Lucy paused and looked around. She felt eyes on her from all directions, from the townspeople and, upon meeting their gazes, saw that they looked… sympathetic? Erza frowned at the looks that they were receiving.

"Are those Fairy Tail wizards?"

"I feel so bad for them."

Lucy could only hear snatches of conversation through the hushed whispers that surrounded them. "Why is everyone staring at us?" she eventually asked, not wanting to know the answer. Did they know about whatever punishment Erza had in store for them? Part of her wished it was that, because whatever garnered these looks from the townsfolk…

"I don't know, but it feels like pity," Erza replied, glancing around at the people as well, and confirming Lucy's suspicions. Another few steps forward, and the three of them gasped at the sight that awaited them.

Towering over the buildings was the guild hall, as it normally did. Except – it didn't look right. There were beams sticking out of the building, glinting menacingly in the mid-morning sunshine, and all at odd angles. Lucy's mind went blank as she stared at it, trying to figure out how it could have ended up like that.

"Why does the guild look so bizarre?" Erza questioned, staring at the building with narrowed eyes, looking prepared to cut down anyone she may suspect of vandalising the building.

"No way," Gray breathed, sounding like he was in shock. Lucy couldn't blame him.

Slowly, they made their way through the throngs of people, who were slowly beginning to disperse, towards the guild hall. Lucy didn't know how the others felt, but she felt numb as they approached it and, standing in front of it, she wasn't sure what to feel. It seemed that both shock and anger were warring for dominance on Gray and Erza's faces – Lucy remembered that they'd been practically raised in that guild hall. She just felt grateful that Natsu wasn't there to see the damage.

"Who would do this?" Erza questioned, her voice shaking in barely restrained anger.

"It was Phantom," came a voice from behind them. The three of them turned, and saw Mirajane standing behind them, looking tired and harried.

"Phantom did this?" Gray questioned, and Mira nodded, letting out a sigh.

"We couldn't do anything to stop them," she began to explain, starting to lead them inside the wrecked building. Lucy looked around and felt a painful pang in her chest. "They got us good."

She lead them through the hall and to a door that Lucy had never been through at the very end, near the bar, and opened it, leading them down some stairs. It lead to some sort of storage basement, and Lucy saw that the rest of Fairy Tail were all gathered down there as well, having moved all the chairs and tables down there with them. Most were drinking, it seemed.

As they passed them, Lucy overhead Levy trying to keep her team mates, Jet and Droy, from doing anything rash like going after Phantom. She sighed.

"Yo! Wassup, kids!" Master Makarov greeted, his breath smelling strongly of wine. Lucy had to hold back a gag, whilst Erza gave him a disapproving look.

Lucy could only watch as Erza attempted to lecture the master, Gray attempted to persuade them to storm Phantom in revenge and, finally, the master ordered them to stay down in the basement. It was like she was having some sort of strange dream. One that she hoped that she'd wake up from soon.

Eventually, when Lucy finally managed to leave the guild hall, walking through the emptying streets, Plue plodding along by her side, she relished the fresh air and couldn't help but smile down at him. "You know," she said to him, walking along the river's edge and balancing precariously for a moment, not a care in the world, "I had no idea that the rivalry between Fairy Tail and Phantom ran so deeply." Plue made a small noise of agreement. "I mean, Phantom's one of the other top guilds in the country. I even thought about joining them once." Thinking back on her decision, though, she knew that there was no way that there would ever go back in time and choose otherwise.

She grinned. "There's no way I regret joining Fairy Tail, though," she told her little spirit friend, her own spirits lifting as she saw her apartment within running distance. She sped her pace up to reach it, the urge to flop down into her comfy bed overwhelming. "They're like my family." She unlocked the door, only to find Gray and Erza sat around her table, drinking cups of tea, and she involuntarily screamed, " _THEY LIKE TO SHOW UP WITHOUT ASKING FIRST!_ " She threw her bag at Gray, shouting, "WHY ARE YOU HERE?!"

Erza slowly took a sip of her tea, regarding her with a cool expression. Lucy noticed that she'd removed her armour and was sitting in casual clothes. Which meant making herself comfortable. Which meant staying. **_Great_**. "Since the guild's been attacked, we can assume that there are Phantom members in town."

Gray nodded, rubbing the spot on his cheek where Lucy's bag had hit him. "They've probably found out where everyone in the guild lives by now," he agreed, grunting in slight pain. "So Mira said it would be safer if we hold up together. You know, strength in numbers?"

"I guess that's true," Lucy acquiesced, but then frowned again. "But why does it have to be _my_ place?!"

Gray shrugged. "Why not?"

* * *

After what was possibly the strangest night of Lucy's existence, which included details of Erza, Gray, and Natsu's childhood that she never wanted to know about, Erza going through one of her drawers and Gray attempting to sleep on her bed, Lucy felt the greatest relief in being able to escape to guild hall the next morning. Away from her crazy friends.

On the way to the guild, however, they heard whispers from the townsfolk they passed. Whispers of an incident involving some of their guild mates down in the South Gate Park. Lucy felt her stomach drop into the ground beneath her as Erza steered them in the direction of the park, her mind wondering what could have happened during the night. Had Phantom Lord done something to some of their members? Was it something minor, like a scuffle amongst themselves? Lucy bit her lip as they walked in silence, their footsteps quick and heavy.

"Please, let us through. We're in their guild," Erza said, once they'd reached the park. People were crowding around one of the largest trees in the centre, obscuring the thick trunk from view. Lucy suddenly felt a deep pit of dread form in her stomach as they walked to the head of the crowd, and as they stood before the tree, she knew she hadn't been wrong to feel that way. Instantly, she covered her mouth in horror, and tears sprung to her eyes. She heard sharp intakes of breaths beside her, angered hisses and snarls.

"Oh no," she murmured, staring up and unable to look away. Above her were Team Shadow Gear, each attached to the trunk by their arms – they seemed to have been put into place by way of some kind of magic and metal, judging by the way that the metal strips were holding the three in place like they were being crucified. Various cuts and bruises littered their bodies and there, in the middle of Levy's stomach, was the Phantom guild mark, stamped like a badge of honour.

Lucy felt like being sick.

" ** _Why has nobody gotten them down yet_**?"

Lucy jumped. Natsu was suddenly standing beside them, staring up at Levy, Jet and Droy with a dark expression that she'd never seen before. Wordlessly and without waiting for an answer, he cast a jet of fire up at the metal strips holding Levy in place, watched them melt, and caught her when she fell. Once she was safely lowered to the ground, and out of sight of nosy townsfolk, he repeated the actions with Jet and Droy, expression dark and almost _terrifying_ the entire time. Just looking at it gave Lucy shivers.

"Natsu, Phantom Lord – " Erza began to explain, but Natsu cut her off with a sharp snarl and a wave of his hand.

"I already know," he said sharply, sniffing the air and snarling again. "Their stench is all over the place. Especially _him_."

They were interrupted once again by the sound of more footsteps coming towards them, and Lucy turned to see who they were coming from. The master was walking through the crowds of people, who parted respectfully for him, and he stopped with their little group, where more members of their guild had started to gather. His face, which was normally so relaxed with drunkenness or general lunacy, immediately darkened as he took in the states of Team Shadow Gear.

"I can take our headquarters being reduced to rubble," the master said slowly, his voice steady. His grip suddenly tightened on his staff. "But I will not let harm come to my children without taking revenge!" Lucy could only stare in growing fear and trepidation as a golden light suddenly surrounded him. " _We have no choice but to go to war._ " He turned to the stony faced guild members that surrounded them, face stormy like lightning. "We'll meet back at the guild hall in two hours. We have a _meeting_ with Phantom to attend."

Two hours later, Lucy was sitting alone in the Magnolia hospital by Levy's bed, a weight in her chest anchoring her down. While she had felt the pain and anger of all her comrades, a larger part of her wanted to be there just in case Levy woke up. And besides, what use would she be when there were wizards like Erza and Gray there fighting in the fray? She sighed, rubbing her palms against her eyes in pure exhaustion. The last couple of days seemed like a nightmare.

Natsu hadn't gone with the guild to see Phantom Lord, either. He'd walked Lucy to the hospital, expression still scarily dark and eyes darting around every so often and, once there, had departed with a simple, "Be careful, Luigi." She wasn't sure entirely what he was doing in town – he had said something about 'evicting unwanted squatters' from the town, whatever that meant. The small, slightly savage smile he'd given her when he said that certainly didn't calm her down.

Lucy sighed again, and looked at Levy. She remembered the first time that Levy had officially introduced herself to Lucy at the guild, a few days after she and the rest of her team had completed their mission against Eisenwald. Levy had been so ecstatic to meet another book lover, and had coaxed Lucy into letting her be the first to read her novel once it was finished. Lucy had played it off as being exasperated, but inside she was thrilled that someone wanted to read it so badly. From that day on, she and Levy had gotten on like a house on fire, often swapping book recommendations and team horror stories.

Just thinking about it made her well up.

"Phantom Lord is heartless," she murmured, glancing out of the window behind her, where she could see the deformed guild hall off in the distance, the ugly metal poles still glinting horrendously like badges of their shame. "How could they do something like this?" Her thoughts drifted to the others, the ones who had gone over to see Phantom. "I hope they're all okay…"

Slowly, she reached into the bag that she'd brought for her three injured team mates and pulled out a giant card. Before the others had left for Oak Town – where Phantom Lord's main branch resided – she'd managed to get them to sign it. Maybe it was a silly and childish idea, giving three unconscious people a card when what they really needed was medicine, but Lucy just wanted to feel like she was helping _somehow_. To feel like that when they woke up, they'd know that the others were thinking of them. With trembling fingers, she placed the card by Levy's bedside, where the sunlight hit it the best, and slowly stood up.

"I'll come back as soon as I can," she told them. They remained unresponsive, unaware of her presence, and Lucy sighed, murmuring, "Like talking to an empty room." Her hate for Phantom grew exponentially in that moment.

Slowly, she turned and left their room, and then the hospital, choosing to slowly walk down the abandoned streets. It seemed that news of Phantom's attack had spread like wildfire amongst the townsfolk, and they were preferring to stay indoors, lest they get attacked as well. Honestly, Lucy couldn't blame them. Would Phantom even bother differentiating between bystander and supposed foe, or would they just attack with careless abandon? She clenched her fist.

No. Probably not.

Suddenly, Lucy became aware of cold, wet droplets hitting her skin, and she looked up towards the sky in confusion. The sky had shown no change in weather, and the sun was still shining as brightly as ever, so why was it raining as heavily as though it was storming?

"It's raining whilst the run's still out?" she asked herself, holding out a hand to catch a few droplets in bafflement. She distantly became aware of another sound – footsteps coming towards her through the sudden rain, and a voice.

" _Drip, drip, drop_ ," said the voice – a melancholic woman's voice – ominously.

Then, nothing.

* * *

Author's note: Alright, so that was the opening for the Phantom arc. Hopefully, that was okay. Please let me know your thoughts on it!


	21. Chapter 21

Author's note: New chapter time! Once again, thank you all for the lovely reviews you left on the last one. They really make me happy to read them ^-^ This week's chapter is a bit longer than usual, mostly because I didn't know when to end it.

Also, on a side note, who else is really enjoying the 'Natsu's heart and memories' parts of the manga at the moment? Because I certainly am. I love that, and the moments with Lucy and Happy, so much. Speaking of Happy, someone make him happy again. My poor blue child doesn't deserve this :|

 **Jacey:** I sort of am? Like, if I see something that fits with the non-canon storyline, then I'll happily use it, like today's part with Anna and the scarf. Funny that you mentioned the dragon slayers though, because while he doesn't necessarily remember Gajeel, he remembers Wendy, at least vaguely, and vice versa. Kind of like in canon when they first meet. On the flip side, though, I'm ignoring Larcade's existence for this because I started writing this before he was introduced, and honestly I just find his character tiring to deal with, not gonna lie. And his magic creeps me out ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

* * *

It may have just been his imagination, but as they made their way through Oak Town, Gray found that it wasn't as cheerful as Magnolia was. The streets seemed darker, more oppressive and deadly. That being said, of course, it could also have something to do with the giant structure that was towering over them.

Whilst Phantom Lord's guild hall had the appearance of a castle, the large, imposing structure only served to cast shadows on anything that happened to be beneath it. Gray was sure that that was what Phantom was going for when they were designing it. There was none of the quirk and charm of Fairy Tail's guild hall, just spikes that lined the outside and along the top. Gray clenched his fist as he looked to Makarov, waiting for him to say when.

The master's face was eerily calm, a complete opposite of how he'd been in the South Gate Park, back when they'd discovered Levy, Jet and Droy. He turned to face the rest of them. "Three of our own were hurt today, and what's more, they were hurt in the dark by _cowards_." He spat the word as though it burned him. "My children are not toys for another guild to break, and that is why," he turned towards the giant wooden door that sat between them and Phantom, fist drawing back and slowly starting to enlarge. Gray readied himself, ice magic forming around his hands, and Makarov swung forward, breaking the door into splinters. "– **_FAIRY TAIL HAS COME CALLING!_** "

There were shouts of surprise and shock from inside, and as the dust cleared, Gray saw the Phantom members quickly jump up, grabbing nearby items as makeshift weapons. Immediately, Gray and the rest of Fairy Tail rushed forward, charged with the desire for revenge on their fallen comrades, on their broken home and the pitying looks in their own town. Erza led the charge, sword raised high in the air and a battle cry on her lips.

"Let's get 'em!" cried one of the nearby Phantom members, raising a mace towards Erza. She neatly sidestepped him, swept her sword across his torso and used his falling, unconscious body as a platform to reach the rest of her enemies, conjuring more swords in the process and requipping into another of her armours. Gray watched in fascination for a moment, then got to work on his own opponent, some sort of weak fire magic user. The irony didn't escape him, and with a smirk, Gray finished that round in a matter of seconds.

To the side, Macao shouted, " ** _Purple mist!_** " and tendrils of purple fire shot out of a magic circle, grabbing nearby opponents and holding them still in mid-air. He turned to Wakaba and said quickly, "Now, Wakaba!"

Wakaba slowly removed his ever-present pipe from his mouth, a smile on his face. "On it. Here comes **_smoke punch!_** " The smoke from the pipe suddenly turned into giant, smoky fists. The fists flew to the trapped Phantom members, still dangling in mid-air by the purple flames, and punched them to the other side of the room, where Cana was throwing down her cards and creating lightning all around her. Elfman ran by her, running over about ten people in his wake. Gray could only blink at that.

Gray turned his head slightly and noticed four opponents running towards him, various spells all at the ready. Quickly thinking, he muttered, " ** _Ice floor!_** " The floor just next to him and extending to the four enemy wizards suddenly turned to smooth ice, shining under the lights of the Phantom guild hall, and his opponents suddenly slipped on it. Gray watched as they went sliding by him, straight into Erza's unmerciful wrath. Their screams followed him even as he turned to face his next opponent – a beefy guy who seemed to have a huge hygiene problem.

Beefy cracked his knuckles and leered down at Gray, showing a missing tooth. "Heh heh. Time to tear off those fairy wings." Gray stared at him, unimpressed, as Beefy raised his hands and shouted, " ** _Iron make: tachi!_** " Instantly, his iron make magic moulded into a thick blade, one that immediately started racing towards Gray.

Gray threw his hands up. " ** _Ice make: shield!_** " Without thinking about it, he leapt up onto the block of ice he'd inadvertently created and quickly said, " ** _Ice make: geyser!_** " A large, jagged shot of ice sprung up from the ground, right where Beefy was standing, and it froze him inside. Gray slowly put his hands down and sighed, then smirked slightly. "Maybe that'll cool you off."

His attention was diverted, once again, by the master. Makarov increased his entire body size, crushing tables and people alike as he forced the guild hall to accommodate the new person. Gray heard at least one person shout, "He's a monster!"

It seemed the master had heard it, as well. " ** _And you dared to lay your hands on this monster's children! Are you foolish enough to believe human laws will protect you from my rage?!_** "

Gray was really glad gramps was on their side. Judging by the looks that Phantom members were casting each other, it seemed that they'd realised that they'd messed up big time. He could hear them muttering about Makarov's power, about the power of the guild being underestimated. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Erza go flying past him, a sword in each hand. Somewhere off to the side, Laki seemed to be having the time of her life in confusing people with her wood make magic.

Erza sprinted by Gray again, requipping into her Flame Empress Armour as she went. Leaping into the air, she yelled, "Tell me: _WHERE CAN I FIND GAJEEL AND THE ELEMENT FOUR?!_ "

* * *

Erza glanced up at an ominous chuckle, coming from above them. The rafters, it seemed.

"Ah, the legend herself," the voice said musingly. Erza caught a glint of metal as the person appeared to shift, and she readied herself to jump up there if she needed to, teeth bared. "It seems that Salamander, Laxus and Mystogan are too scared to play." A ray of light hit the source of the voice, and Gajeel Redfox, the Iron Dragon Slayer of Phantom Lord, was revealed, standing above them like a bird of prey.

 _Or_ , Erza's mind supplied _, like a dragon_ , thinking of the times when Natsu had often watched the guild from the highest indoor point.

"Or do they just not care?" Gajeel continued his monologue, apparently uncaring whether or not anyone heard him or not. Either way, Erza had heard enough. With a yell, she launched herself forwards and upwards, requipping into her Black Wing Armour to give herself extra speed as she launched into the air. One of the things she liked the most about her Black Wing Armour was the main enhancement of it: the extra speed it granted her to enable her to almost fly for periods of time if she launched herself at the right angle, and the added offence to her attacks. Granted, she wasn't as fast as she was when she was wearing her Flight Armour, but absolute speed wasn't what she wanted right now.

All she needed was to be able to keep up with a sub-par dragon slayer. Her fights with Natsu had been training her for this.

Erza landed deftly on the rafter beam above Gajeel, and she glared down at him, heart racing from adrenaline and the thrill of the fight. "Black Steel Gajeel," she greeted coolly, adjusting her stance on the beam slightly, adjusting her grip on her sword.

Gajeel grinned up at her savagely, and gave a mocking bow. "Titania Erza," he replied in turn, voice full of contempt and the barest hint of sarcasm at her moniker. Without warning, he launched upwards, shouting, " ** _Iron Dragon Sword!_** " Erza watched in amazement as his entire arm transformed into a sword, and she quickly dodged and deflected the oncoming blow onto another beam. The resulting blast from the force of the blow was enough to catch a few peoples' attention, Erza noted out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't afford to focus on that, though.

"You have crimes to answer for!" Erza all but yelled, launching her own attack. She managed to land a hit on Gajeel, and she leapt over him, using her Black Wing Armour's enhancement to fly a short distance away from him. Once she landed, she raced towards him again, and they were locked in close combat. Swords clashing, sparks raining around them from the grind of metal on metal.

Erza grit her teeth. It seemed that they were too evenly matched. While Gajeel had brute strength on his side – as well as the tough exterior of a dragon slayer that she recognised from Natsu – Erza had swiftness on hers. With a defiant yell, she quickly placed an armoured foot on Gajeel's chest and used it as a platform to push away from. Kicking away, she leapt up onto the next rafter above him, requipping two axes instead of the one sword. Maybe dual-wielding would garner better results.

Gajeel smirked and leapt after her, landing with a solid _thump_ on the shaking wooden beam. "What's the matter, Titania?" he asked, voice full of mocking concern as he stalked towards her, swinging the sword – his arm - back and forth with reckless abandon. "Are you scared?" He grinned widely, showing off pointed fangs, so similar to Natsu's. "Are you giving up?"

Erza let out a snarl, offended at the _mere notion_ of giving up to these scumbags. "To you?!" she retorted, swinging her axes back at Gajeel so quickly, she was sure that to an onlooker, it looked like a blur of black and purple. She ran at him, snarling at the savagely delighted grin that Gajeel was giving her, at the fight she was giving. " _Never!_ "

Calling upon all of her strength, she darted through all of Gajeel's defences and just _shoved_. Immediately, they both toppled from the beam, the force of the shove breaking it in the process, and they fell towards the floor. Erza quickly activated the glide ability that came with the Black Wing Armour, and she gently dropped down onto the ground, paying no attention to the stares being pinned on her from both sides of the conflict. She narrowed her eyes at Gajeel, who had landed on his feet, readjusting her stance again.

Gajeel started laughing, a harsh sound if there was ever one. "The fairy's got a sting," he said, still laughing as he moved to face her, sword arm out in front of him. His grin darkened. "That _almost_ hurt."

Erza stared steadily at him, chest heaving and body shaking from the adrenaline of the fight. " ** _Requip,_** " she snarled, and bright light immediately surrounded her. As soon as it appeared, it was gone again, leaving Erza standing in her Morning Star Armour, two blades dangling loosely from her hands. She shifted her stance, and Gajeel grinned as he did the same. For a long moment, they just stared at each other, willing the other to make the first move.

It was Gajeel who broke first. With a roar, he dashed forward, sword swinging at her wildly. In response, Erza dodged it deftly before running towards her opponent, cape and hair flying behind her. With a yell, she brought the two blades together as they made contact with their target, and immediately a jet of energy burst forth from them, creating an explosion worthy of Natsu. She felt more than heard Gajeel be blasted away from her, and in the resulting chaos, she shouted, " ** _Requip!_** "

Immediately, she was standing in her Flight Armour. Whilst this armour had technically less defences on it, such as the less armour around it, it made up for that fact with the sheer speed it granted her. With another defiant yell, Erza charged forward in the midst of the confusion, speed boosted until her surroundings were nothing but a blur of colours, friends and enemies around her. As she approached Gajeel, she immediately brought her two, one-handed swords down upon him, before darting away again and striking at him from a different angle.

She would have continued with the quick-strike assault, finding it to be the best way to combat the hulking Iron Dragon Slayer, but a sudden commotion from above diverted part of her attention. There was a rumbling coming from – the ceiling? No, Erza quickly corrected herself, the top of the tower. A golden light was flooding through the cracks that were rapidly appearing, and she almost let herself smile. She knew that light – everyone in Fairy Tail knew the source of that light.

Master Makarov.

Even Gajeel had ceased his fighting, staring up as well with a strange expression on his face, almost like he was anticipating something else happening. Erza's stomach clenched as, a moment later, a scream was heard, getting closer to them. A though someone was falling. Erza looked up again in time to see the master falling through the air. With a silent gasp, Erza sprang into action, using her enhanced speed to get herself to where she thought the master would land.

As she caught him, the first thing that Erza noticed was his skin – it looked almost green, a sickly pallor that she had never seen on anyone before, bar Natsu when he was motion sick. The second thing she noticed was how sunken and gaunt his face had become, and she immediately started to burn with hatred. Someone had done this to the master.

Someone had caused the master harm.

"Master!" she said urgently, trying to keep her growing panic down below her newfound hatred for her enemies. When the master didn't respond, she settled for a snarl.

"Is he okay?!" Elfman asked, jogging up beside them with a worried look on his face. Gray appeared beside him, frowning heavily.

"I don't sense any magic power from him," he said slowly, as though he was trying to make sense of the situation.

Erza glanced around at her comrades, seeing the morale physically drop before her eyes as news of the master's defeat spread through the ranks, and bit her lip. With morale so dangerously low, and with the master out of commission, they had little chance of beating an entire guild. Swearing to herself, she shouted, "Everyone, retreat!"

* * *

Natsu sighed happily as he made his way down the street, Happy walking beside him. He had to admit, it had felt _good_ to let loose on the Phantom members hiding out in Magnolia. He grinned to himself, hands going behind his head, as he remembered how easy it had been to track them down, and how equally easy it had been to remove them from the town. Honestly, Natsu didn't know why they tried to fight against him, especially that one _fire wizard_ , of all things.

"Did you see their faces?" Natsu laughed, accidentally letting out a burst of flame in his manic enthusiasm. Okay, so perhaps he had gone a _bit_ overboard when he was evicting the squatters – perhaps he hadn't needed to use _all_ of his fire dragon spells – but Happy hadn't tried to stop him. Hell, Happy had joined in on the eviction, wielding his fishbone-sword. And who could really blame Natsu? Those wizards had been part of the group that had destroyed their guild hall, and therefore their pride, and had hurt their friends.

Natsu's face darkened as he thought about Levy, Jet and Droy hanging from the tree, wrists bound in iron. That was unforgivable. Without meaning to, he let out a growl, and Happy immediately jumped back with an apprehensive look on his face.

"Natsu?" he asked carefully, slowly walking closer to him again. Natsu then noticed that they'd stopped walking, and that he had his fists clenched. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down. He knew that the others had gone down to Oak Town to thrash Phantom. That thought alone made Natsu feel a bit better. "Are you okay?" Happy asked as they resumed walking.

Natsu grinned down at him, hoping that it didn't come out too much like a grimace. "Yep! Totally fine, bud!" Happy didn't look convinced, and the raised eyebrow said it all. "Well, better," Natsu amended, rubbing the back of his hair sheepishly. He opened his mouth to say something else, but suddenly cut himself off, mind wandering towards the new distractions that had suddenly appeared before him.

At approximately the same time, Natsu noticed two things before him. Lying in the middle of the street was a glint of something gold and silver. Natsu immediately felt his stomach twist in apprehension as, walking over to the glittering object, he smelled two scents he was vaguely familiar with. His apprehension was confirmed as he bent down to examine the glittering object, and found a set of keys. Keys that looked very familiar.

"Um, Natsu?" Happy asked, wandering over and looking at the keys as well with a worried look. "I think those are Lucy's keys…" Natsu didn't give a response, and instead sniffed the air. His face twisted into a snarl – _those two_ had definitely been here, and if Lucy's keys were lying on the ground at the epicentre of it, then it could only mean bad things. "She wouldn't just drop them like that," Happy added, putting his paws together anxiously.

Natsu straightened up, hands gripping the keys tightly. "No, she wouldn't," Natsu agreed, eyes narrowed into dark slits. So that was how Phantom was going to play this game, was it? They were going to kidnap one of _his_ comrades off the street, were they? Natsu gripped the keys even tighter, not paying attention to the sting in the palm of his hand and his fingers. Vaguely, he realised that the sting was a sign of the keys cutting into his skin, but he didn't have time to worry about that.

He sniffed the air again, and caught wind of another scent, this time one he'd smelled recently. Snarl firmly in place, he set off down the street towards it, stalking towards it like a predator with a one-track mind. He could hear Happy following him, but he paid him no mind. Following the scent, it led him through town, back the way he'd just come from, and out towards the outskirts. His gaze narrowed in on his target as soon as he saw it: one of the Phantom wizards he'd evicted from Magnolia, still skulking around despite Natsu's very fair warning.

He grinned darkly, skulking silently towards him.

Still not making a single sound, Natsu clapped a hand on the guy's shoulder, taking some malicious glee in the small scream that was emitted. Immediately, the guy looked over his shoulder to look at them, and his expression morphed into one of profound horror as soon as he looked at them.

"Y-you! _Salamander!_ " he stuttered, not even trying to hold back the fear in his voice. Natsu absently noted the black eye the guy had, probably put there by Natsu himself in the last couple of hours – honestly, he couldn't remember. His eyes flitted down to where Happy was hovering, and they widened even more. " ** _And the cat!_** "

Natsu tilted his head slightly, face darkening. "We need to have a little _chat_ ," he said lowly, a small growl slipping through, lighting up the hand still holding the guy's shoulder for good measure. The guy shakily nodded, pale and sweating. Without waiting for an answer, Natsu turned and – adjusting his grip so he was holding the wizard by the scruff of the neck – slowly walked out of town, dragging the wizard behind him _._

 _We're coming for you, Lucy_.

* * *

Slowly and painfully, Lucy felt herself returning to consciousness. The first thing she registered, as her brain started to whir back to life again, was confusion. Where was she? What had happened before she blacked out? With a giant effort, she slowly opened her eyes, and winced from the brightness that suddenly flooded her retinas. The next thing she registered, as her brain caught up with her, was that she was lying on the floor, her hands tied firmly behind her back. Panicked, Lucy quickly managed to push herself up into a sitting position, and looked around.

"What the…" she trailed off, growing more panicked by the second. "How did I get here?"

From what she could tell, she was in a cell, though she had no memory of having been moved to it. Come to think of it, she had no idea what had happened to her since hearing those ominous words in the street. She looked around again, and sighed dejectedly. Not much chance of escaping by herself, it seemed. There weren't any conveniently sized gaps in the stone walls and the room was windowless.

Lucy scowled at the floor. It appeared that the lacrima vision dramas had lied to her about cells being easy to escape from. And if she couldn't escape from a cell as simple as this, then there was no way that Haynes Song escaped from cells over and over again.

"So you're finally awake," came a voice, light and nonchalant, and Lucy whipped her head around, looking for the source. She couldn't see them properly, though. From what she could tell, they were standing just outside the door to her cell, and the door was behind her back, making it next to impossible for her to look at them. "I was getting worried about you." There was the sound of the door unlocking, the creaking of old metal, and footsteps walking into the room. Lucy's anxiety didn't feel reassured.

"Who're you?!" she demanded, trying to look braver than she really felt at that moment. The figure stepped around, still lingering behind her but enough so that she could see them – him, Lucy corrected herself. He was tall, as far as Lucy could tell, as well as slightly rounded in the middle. For some reason, he had wings on the back of his purple cape, and his pale face was framed by lank, dark hair, topped off by the most absurd hat that Lucy had ever seen.

And Lucy was pretty sure he was wearing purple lipstick.

 _Oh no. I've been kidnapped by a clown_.

"I am Master José Porla," the clown said, pausing for a small second, "of the Phantom Lord Guild."

Lucy jerked her entire body backwards, as though her natural reaction was to escape from anyone from Phantom Lord. " _You're_ with Phantom?" she demanded, shifting her body around so she didn't keep having to look over her shoulder, because that was getting old and painful very quickly. She frowned, and in a moment of absentmindedness, asked herself, "But I thought this was a wizard's guild, not a circus."

"I'd like to apologise for this _dingy_ cell," José continued, as though he hadn't heard her. He gave her a pitying look, which made Lucy want to spit at his feet. "And being tied up _must_ be degrading."

"Not as degrading as being kidnapped," Lucy muttered under her breath, glaring at him.

"But I'm afraid I had no choice, my dear." José paused and regarded her with another pitying look, which made Lucy want to throw acid in his face, or staple her eyes shut just so she wouldn't have to look at him. "That _is_ how you treat a prisoner, after all."

Lucy stared at him for a long minute, her eye twitching. In the end, her anger and pure indignation over being kidnapped by a _clown_ , of all things, won out over her lingering fear, and she snapped out, irritably, "You're one of the jerks who hurt Levy!" Spitefully, she began pulling against the ropes that bound her hands together, gritting her teeth when they didn't give. "My friends are gonna come looking for me, so you'd better let me go!"

José smiled slightly, as though he was dealing with a petulant child, and not a prisoner from another guild. The thought made Lucy even angrier. "Depending on your willingness to co-operate," he began, ignoring everything she'd said, yet again, "I'm fully prepared to treat you as one of our esteemed guests, rather than a lowly prisoner."

Lucy glowered up at him. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, making sure to inject as much venom into her tone as possible. A damp, crawling sensation suddenly appeared on her leg, and she screamed. A purple bug fell away in the process, scurrying away to what Lucy assumed were quieter areas.

"See?" José gave the bug a pointed look. "You don't want to stay in here, do you?" Lucy wanted to wipe that smug look off of that clown's face. Or maybe just spit in it. She wasn't entirely sure which one she wanted to do more. "I have a beautifully decorated suite waiting for you." He smiled with a faux-fatherly concern. "All you have to do is behave."

Well, if they wanted her to behave, they were in for a shock. For once, Lucy decided to take a page out of that demon cat's book, hoping that he never found out. "Why does your _guild_ keep attacking us?!" she demanded, inserting bravado into her tone, and managing to sound braver than she felt at that moment. True, she was feeling very indignant and angry over her kidnapping, and disturbed that it was by a _clown_ , of all things, but she certainly didn't feel brave.

"Who is us?" José replied, looking confused for a moment, before a meaner look spread across his face. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are you talking about _Fairy Tail_?" He gave her a dark look. "It was a means to an end, and that's all."

Lucy froze. "What?"

José spread his hands out at his side. "You see, we were working towards our main objective of acquiring a certain someone. They happened to be a member of Fairy Tail, so if we had to destroy the guild to get to them, then so be it."

A pit began forming in the bottom of Lucy's stomach. With dread, she asked, "Who are you talking about?"

José tutted. "My, my. You're such a naïve young lady. Not at all what I'd expect from a _debutante_."

Lucy felt the blood drain from her face, and all feeling leave her body, leaving her with a drifting sensation and the vague feeling of shock. How had they found out about her? She had been so careful to never say her last name, ever since she'd ran away from home. But if Phantom had gone to all this work to kidnap her, then that had to mean that someone else had put them up to it. Someone powerful, Lucy would guess.

"I'm talking about you, of course. Lady Lucy, the privileged daughter of the wealthy Heartfilia family." José narrowed his eyes at her, as though he were a hawk surveying its prey. Lucy felt like she was being torn apart.

"How did you find out about that?" she asked, resigned. She half knew what the answer was going to be.

José continued, once again, as though she hadn't said a word, and Lucy gritted her teeth in irritation. That sort of behaviour was one of the many things she'd hated about the world she came from – men talking over her, ignoring her as though she wasn't there, deciding her future for her. "I'm surprised you never told your fellow guild members the truth. And I don't understand why the daughter of a wealthy tycoon would stoop to such cheap and dangerous work as wizarding for such a _low class guild._ "

"You don't have to understand. Our guild is far better than your sorry excuse of one anyway!" Lucy snapped, unable to take the insult to Fairy Tail lying down – or, as was the case, sitting down with her hands tied behind her back. She paused and took a deep breath. "So I've been kidnapped?" she guessed, still glaring heatedly.

"No, my dear. I promise it's not like that. We're not looking for ransom money. We're just doing our job." Just as Lucy had figured – someone had put them up to this. Before she could ask who dared to try and have her kidnapped, José continued talking. "We were hired by your father to bring you home to him."

For the second time, Lucy felt herself get cold, and floods of memories from her childhood came rushing back. Her father was the one responsible for her kidnapping, for Levy getting hurt and the guild hall being destroyed? The anger slowly started to come back, this time starting as a slow, simmering heat in the pit of her stomach.

"Why would he come looking for me?" she asked, speaking more to herself than anyone else. It didn't make sense to her. In all the time that she'd been gone, her father had never sought her out before, so why now? "Why would he want me back?"

"You seem so confused. Any father would want their child back, especially one that _ran away from home_."

Lucy shook her head, staring at the floor. "Not him. Honestly, I'm shocked that he noticed that I left." Something snapped inside her, as though the slowly simmering rage pushed itself over the edge. " _I'm never going back to that house, and you can't make me go back! **I don't want anything to do with him!**_ "

José sighed, as though he'd been expecting her outburst. "Oh, dear." He gave a self-deprecating smile. "I should have known that you'd be problematic."

"I'm a Fairy Tail wizard," Lucy declared proudly. "Being problematic is what we're best at." She punctuated her sentence with a light spit at the ground, forcing José to look disgusted at her behaviour. Lucy inwardly smirked. See if _that_ made her the so-called debutante.

"Something I'm very aware of," José agreed darkly.

"So you might as well just let me go," Lucy said, all traces of fear leaving her. She was a Fairy Tail wizard. She'd faced down hordes of enemies before now, and she wasn't afraid of this clown. Even if he was the guild master.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do that," José answered, not sounding very sorry at all.

Lucy quickly thought about the situation, and she answered with the only thing that came into her head. "Please… _I need to go to the bathroom_." She added a tinge of desperation to her tone as an extra effect.

José stared at her for a long moment, as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Give me a break," he said slowly, sound exasperated. "You don't think I'll fall for the oldest trick in the book, do you?"

Lucy started squirming as much as she could, scrunching her face up in what she hoped was discomfort. "No, for real! I'm gonna wet myself!"

"Fine then." Before Lucy's hopes could get raised, José produced a rusty old bucket from... somewhere. Where, Lucy didn't know, and didn't want to know. She stared at it, feeling like her soul was floating away from her body.

" _A BUCKET?!_ " she snapped. What sort of prison was this? Was Phantom Lord so paranoid or so ruthless that they didn't even have toilets in their prison block? What the hell was up with that?! And the gods only knew how many _germs_ lived on that thing.

"I'm ready for any old trick you might throw my way," José chuckled, obviously thinking that he'd caught her out. Well, in that case.

"Guess it'll have to work," Lucy said standing up and walking over to the bucket. José's eyes immediately bugged out of his head, and he spluttered indignantly at Lucy's behaviour.

" _You're going to use it?!_ " he demanded, sounding as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Lucy continued wiggling, making motions to try and push her skirt around, and José's face went bright red. " _Well_ , I have never met such a _vulgar_ young lady!" Lucy inwardly smirked. If he thought she was vulgar, then what did that make Erza? "I'll turn away because I'm a gentleman!" he announced, turning his back to her with a flourish of his cloak.

Lucy immediately grinned. Not wasting any time, she launched forward. She raised her foot into the air, and kicked José right where it hurt him the most. The resultant, high pitched scream was music to her ears as she ran past him towards the door. As she got to the doorway, she realised that it lead to the outside of a tower – and that there seemed to be no way down from where she was. Lucy stared out at the area around the tower, hope sinking in her chest once again.

"Oops… I forgot to mention... this cell is several stories high," came José's pained voice, and Lucy turned to see the Phantom guild master slowly struggle to his feet, hands covering his front as though she might kick at him again.

Before he could take any more steps towards her, there was the brief smell of burning, as though someone had set fire to a pile of trees, and a second later, a giant flame appeared in the air in front of her. A person formed in the flames, and within seconds, Natsu was stepping out of it, face set in a dangerous expression. Lucy's heart immediately lifted. _They'd found her_.

"Not another step," Natsu said slowly, raising one hand towards José, fire burning around his fingers. Lucy chanced another look at his face, and was taken aback by the sheer fury radiating from him. He was snarling, the long canines glinting dangerously in the firelight. He shuddered in a breath. It looked as though he was fighting for control of his temper. "You kidnapped one of my guild mates." It wasn't a question, and his expression turned darker, more fierce, towards the end. "You'll find one of yours at the bottom of this tower. He's still alive."

He grinned, slightly maniacally. "Mostly."

With that, Natsu reached back and grabbed hold of Lucy's arm, and she felt the familiar sensation of the warm fire enveloping her for a brief moment. When the fire disappeared, they were standing in a small clearing in the middle of a forest. Lucy looked around. The first thing she noticed was that there was no sight of the tower where she'd been held captive. The second thing she noticed was that there was a perfect, chair-sized rock near her, and she immediately went and sat down, suddenly feeling drained.

The whole reason for Fairy Tail getting hurt was because her _father_ had hired Phantom to kidnap her. Everything that had happened recently was because of her father and, by extension, because of _her_. Lucy felt sick, and she wondered whether she was worthy of being a member of the guild after that. How could she continue to be part of a guild that her father had wilfully hurt?

She felt Natsu sit down next to her after a moment, and the brief warmth across her wrists told Lucy that he'd burned away the ropes around them. Absently, she brought her arms against her chest and started rubbing at her left wrist, slightly red from where she'd been pulling against it in an effort to escape.

"Hey?" Natsu asked, and Lucy turned her head to look at him. He was looking at her with a concerned look, as though that dangerous expression, full of fire and fury, had never even been there. "You okay?"

Just like that, it was as though the floodgates had been opened. She didn't cry like a baby, but Lucy couldn't stop a few stray tears from leaking out of her eyes. "I don't want to leave," she said shakily, wringing her hands together. "I love Fairy Tail… _I don't want to leave!_ "

"Hey now, no one's gonna make you leave because of this!" Natsu quickly responded, sounding alarmed that Lucy had started crying. Indeed, when Lucy glanced over at him, there was a look of distinct alarm on his face, and his hands were gesturing wildly. "It's not your fault that they kidnapped you!"

Lucy sniffed. "But it is," she disagreed, lowering her gaze to the ground. More tears continued to well up, and she couldn't stop them, nor could she stop her thoughts and doubts from escaping. "It was my dad who hired them to kidnap me. He's the reason why everyone's gotten hurt." She sighed, mind full of dark thoughts. "None of it would have happened if it wasn't for me."

"Bullshit." Lucy snapped her head up at the harsh word, and Natsu continued talking. "Even if you hadn't been with us, Phantom would have found some other way to fight with us. We were fighting them long before we met you." Although his expression was soft, his voice was oddly stern, which was odd coming from Natsu.

"But my dad…" Lucy tried to remind him, trailing off dejectedly.

"Obviously loves you enough to do this," Natsu said gently, bumping his shoulder against hers. He gave her a slight smile. "People do crazy and terrible things for the people they love." He chuckled, slightly bitterly. "I can see why he'd do it, at least. Doesn't mean I'm happy about it, though." He wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulders, a familiar gesture that made Lucy smile. "'snot your fault, Lucy, and I'll turn anyone who tries to come after you again into ash."

Lucy just hummed noncommittally, the tightness in her chest loosening. She'd never say it to him, of course, but Natsu had managed to make her feel slightly better.

"If it makes you feel any better," Natsu started, tone oddly cheerful, "what my brother did out of love was way worse than all of this." Lucy made a questioning noise out of interest. She'd never heard about Natsu having a brother, or any family members at all, really, aside from the dragon that raised him, so hearing about this mysterious brother was new to her. "He killed thousands of people and created horrors straight out of nightmares, all just so he could resurrect me." He paused. "Although I think the killing part was accidental. Mostly."

Lucy stared at him, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she remembered Natsu talking to her and the others on Galuna Island. What had he said, again? Lucy struggled with her thoughts for a moment, trying to get them into order and to just _remember, damnit_ , when it came to her like a bolt of lightning.

 _Zeref did all this just to resurrect me_.

"Zeref is your _brother_?!" Lucy blurted out, trying to keep her voice low but also finding it impossible because her friend was the _brother_ of the most notorious black wizard ever. Natsu gave her a smile, cheerful as always.

"Big brother, actually," he corrected, as though there was a difference. He gave her another cheerful look and another nudge to the shoulder. "See? Things could be worse. At least your father isn't creating demons."

Lucy stared at him. "You're the worst demon ever," she said flatly, and Natsu grinned at her. Lucy couldn't help but notice, though, that despite the wide grin and the cheerful expression, there seemed to be something else lurking beneath the surface. Before she could question him on it, though, Natsu swept her up in another conversation, and the small observation was pushed to the back of her mind.

* * *

Author's note: So, that was that. Hopefully, it was okay, and please let me know your thoughts on it!


	22. Chapter 22

Author's note: Once again, thank you so much for the lovely reviews! You guys are awesome and it makes me so happy to read them! :) To be honest, I wasn't sure if I was gonna get this chapter out this week. Somehow, I've managed to catch tonsillitis, so I'm feeling super ill, and on top of that I have laryngitis, so I've lost my voice. Which is great, because I can't even complain about it. But what can you do ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

Also, who else loved today's chapter with Erza and Irene?! Man, that was awesome ❤︎

 **(Pairing) Guest** : I think I have mentioned my plans for this, but the plan for the story is Natsu x Lucy as the main pairing, with various others added in along the way, although romance isn't a huge part of it.

Okay, to be totally honest, I'm not sure how this chapter turned out. I think it turned out okay? I hope it did!

* * *

"What the hell is **_that_**?!"

"Are buildings supposed to get up and walk away?"

"I'm too sober for this shit…"

Gray was officially having the oddest day in his life, or at least the oddest day in his life since he'd joined Fairy Tail, and that was really saying something. It had started off with Lucy coming into the guild hall, explaining that no, they didn't need to launch a rescue party since Natsu had rescued her already – although where that flamebrain had disappeared off to, Gray didn't know. For all he knew, Natsu was still in bed. Lucy had then explained that the reason why she'd been kidnapped was because her father had hired Phantom to deliver her back to him, who was apparently some fancy rich guy.

Which had led them to their current situation. As far as Gray could tell, a giant building was slowly making its way towards their guild hall on giant, mechanised legs, walking through the lake as though it was completely natural for a building to sprout legs. As the building edged closer and closer, Gray could feel the ground shaking with every enormous step the thing took. Each step generated giant waves in the normally waveless-lake, and Gray clenched his fists.

"Why is there always something weird happening whenever I come back here?" came Natsu's voice from the side, tone despairing and slightly questioning. Gray jumped, startled and not having noticed Natsu 'flame in', as he'd taken to calling it, and he turned around to glare at him.

"Where did you come from?!" he demanded. Natsu gave him a lazy look.

"Home. Where I always come from," he responded flatly. He paused, then added, smirking, " _Stripper_." He glanced down pointedly at Gray's torso. Gray followed his gaze, and cursed as he realised that he'd accidentally stripped off all but his underwear again. Honestly, he had no idea how that even happened, especially when all he'd been doing was watching the giant walking building.

It was Natsu's fault, somehow. He was sure of it.

"It's a guild hall with _ginormous_ legs!" Happy exclaimed, and Gray was immediately brought back down to Earth, and their current predicament: the walking building.

"Did you really have to add the _ginormous_ part in?" Lucy asked, sounding both afraid and exasperated. "The fact that that thing even _has_ legs is more than enough!"

"Is it… _Phantom_?" Loke asked, taking off his glasses for a moment, wiping them and replacing them, as though that would help. He clenched his fists and his face twisted up in an unreadable expression.

Natsu turned his head to stare at the approaching building, and his eyes narrowed into slits. Gray could almost see the physical change in his eyes that allowed him to see further than anyone else in the guild. Almost immediately, his body stiffened, and a small growl left him. In that moment, Gray was reminded of a wildly agitated cat. A cat that could easily burn someone alive, absolutely, but a cat nonetheless. "Phantom," he snarled quietly, sounding like he was only just holding himself back from burning down the approaching building.

And _that_ was a sentence Gray never imagined he'd think.

"I never anticipated this," Erza said slowly, sounding close to afraid herself. Gray absently noted that she'd run outside in just a towel, not even having bothered to dry her hair off. She was shaking badly as she stared up at the enemy guild hall. "I never thought they'd go to such extremes to attack us!"

At long last, the building came to a halt, standing in the middle of the lake like a giant eyesore. Moments later, he noticed that a section of a wall on the front of the building had started to sink. The sinking revealed a large, circular cannon that slowly started to extend itself from the wall. With a sinking feeling of his own, Gray realised, along with everyone else, that the cannon was pointing towards their guild hall. And them.

A dark magic started building up in the cannon, visible even from their current distance away. Dimly, he heard Nab pleading with Natsu to create a shield to save them all.

" _Do I look like I can create a shield?!_ " Natsu snapped back, sounding irritated, anxious and downright furious. "I use _fire magic_. I can't create a shield with _fire_!"

Nab let out a despairing, high pitched wail. Gray felt like joining him as the blot of magic continued to grow. A breeze suddenly swept past him, and when he looked forward again, Erza was racing towards it. Gray blinked. _Was she insane?!_

"Go! Get out of here, now!" Erza yelled over her shoulder as she ran. The golden light of her requip magic began to surround her, and as she came to a stop near the water's edge, the light faded again. Erza was standing in one of the heaviest armours that Gray had ever seen, complete with a giant shield that seemed to be in two parts.

"That's her Adamantine Armour!" Happy yelled, flitting around the air nervously.

"Erza, stop! You'll get yourself killed!" Wakaba shouted at her. Erza seemed to pay him no mind.

"This is to protect the guild!" she declared, and as the ray of dark magic blast forward from the cannon, she brought the two pieces of the shield together with a deafening smash. Out of the corner of his eye, Gray saw Natsu tense, and he immediately grabbed hold of one of his arms, with Elfman grabbing the other.

"Erza!" Natsu shouted, fighting against the grips on his arms and almost dragging both Gray and Elfman forward in his rage. Gray grunted with the exertion of just trying to stay upright. It was taking the combined effort of him and Elfman to even keep flamebrain in one place.

Before he could get out of their grip though, the blast hit the shield and the surrounding magic circle. The blast of pressure from the impact caused the ground they were standing on to shake, and Gray nearly lost his hold on Natsu's arm in the process. Then, as soon as it had started, it was over. A blast from where Erza was standing suddenly went up, followed by Erza's scream. Seconds later, Erza herself landed in front of them all, armour and shield gone and completely unconscious.

"I can't believe it. She actually managed to stop it," Macao said, sounding both shocked and relieved.

"Yeah, but look at Erza," Cana pointed out, nodding towards Erza. Immediately, Natsu raced forward, breaking free of Gray and Elfman's grips as though they had been paper.

"Erza!" he said again, sounding desperate. He slid to his knees beside her and almost-roughly shook her shoulder. "Come on, say something!" There was a desperation to his tone that Gray couldn't recall ever hearing before then. When Erza remained unresponsive, Natsu stilled as well, his head still bowed.

" ** _Makarov has fallen_** ," came the voice of the master of Phantom Lord. What had Lucy said his name was again? Oh yeah – José Porla. " ** _Erza can no longer stand, and even Salamander cannot take me on alone._** " Natsu twitched, and the air around him began to get uncomfortably warm, a dark aura radiating off him. " ** _Any chance of victory has slipped through your fingers. Surrender Lucy Heartfilia immediately. You have no choice._** "

Natsu let out a fierce snarl, and he raised his head. " _Like hell_ ," he said darkly. He stood up and started walking down towards the lake, where Erza had made her stand against the beam of magic.

"Natsu, wait!" Mira called out, looking anxious, but Natsu vanished in one of his trademark flames.

" _Like any guild would hand over one of their own to a monster like you!_ " Bisca shouted up at him, backed up by cheers and shouts of affirmation.

"You hear that?! Lucy's staying put!" Macao agreed, raising a fist in the air. Lucy herself looked particularly uncomfortable at all the declarations, if the tears were any indication. Gray had never been good at gauging emotions on girls.

" ** _I won't ask again_** ," José said warningly. The rest of the guild continued to cheer and jeer in his direction, and Gray was sure he heard at least three people shout at him to 'get out of here'.

"We would never betray her like that!" Erza yelled suddenly, slamming a fist into the ground and causing small cracks to appear around it. "You'd have to kill us first!" All of the following cheers and yells spoke of how much that statement rang true.

There was a growl coming from over the communication link that José had established, then: " ** _IF DEATH IS WHAT YOU WANT, THEN I'LL GIVE YOU A SECOND HELPING OF JUPITER! YOU'VE GOT FIFTEEN MINUTES TO – WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON NOW?!_** " From the sounds of things on his end of the line, José had been interrupted by something happening inside the guild hall he'd brought with him, and Gray had a sneaking suspicion that he knew what was causing it. " ** _WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'JUPITER'S NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL'?!_** " Apparently, he'd also forgotten that he was broadcasting to an enemy guild, and the rest of the guild glanced at each other in confusion and interest. There were some more seconds of silence, then a loud yell of anger broke out across the lake.

Natsu reappeared before the guild, arms crossed and still looking annoyed. "At least that thing's destroyed," he said flatly, still staring up at the guild hall like he was a particularly annoying pest.

" ** _Jupiter may be gone, but there are still other ways to dispose of you all_** ," came José's voice again. Natsu winced, presumably from the volume of José's maximum-volumed voice. He complained about loud noises frequently at the guild hall. After a few seconds, a strange purple mist started floating out of Phantom's guild hall, and started flying towards them. As it got closer, Gray realised, with a horrible feeling in his gut, that it wasn't mist at all. Rather, it looked like swarms of people. People that were off, somehow. " ** _Either my troops will tear you apart, or you'll be destroyed by Abyss Break!_** "

With that declaration, the building began to shift again. The walls and roofs started disappearing inwards and tilting, revealing a far more terrifying form beneath the surface of the guild hall: the Giant, Phantom's biggest weapon. Gray felt his stomach clench in what was probably fear. At the same time, something appeared in the sky over Magnolia, and it started moving in what looked like a circular motion. Mira looked up at the sky, her hands over her mouth in horror.

"Abyss Break!" she gasped, taking a step back. "That will destroy the whole city!"

"Not if we stop it first," Natsu said, glancing at Mira for a moment before looking back up at the Giant. "We need to destroy that thing." He pointed at the Giant, and Gray immediately stepped forward.

"If you're going back in there, then I'm going as well, ash brains," he said fiercely. There was no way he was letting flamebrains one-up him on fights and taking out the enemy. Besides, he grudgingly added, it wasn't as though he could be in every place at once. Demon he may be, he couldn't create copies of himself.

Which, now that Gray thought about it, was a terrifying thought, and he was sincerely glad that Natsu didn't have that ability.

Natsu stared at him for a long moment, before sighing. "Fine," he said slowly. Gray quickly hurried over to him – the impatience was rolling off him in waves. Immediately, the uncomfortably warm flames appeared around them, and disappeared again as soon as they'd formed. Gray glanced around, and saw that they were standing in a hallway. Further down, Gray saw a blasted-through wall with scorch marks around it, next to a guy in orange and red robes He wondered how long that guy had lasted against Natsu.

"I'll go this way," he said, gesturing down another hallway. Natsu just nodded, and took off at a run the other way.

* * *

Fighting to control the motion sickness was turning out to be surprisingly easy. Then again, Natsu thought that it might be because of the rage he was currently feeling, and _also_ trying to control. He'd nearly lost control of it when he went on his small rampage against Totomaru and the Jupiter cannon, but then Totomaru was just the sort of person who easily incited Natsu's rage anyway. Kind of like Gray, in a way.

Mind absent, he continued running until he reached the end of the hallway, where it opened out onto a series of pipes, thin air, and a steep drop below them. It was only when he paused to regain his bearings that he took note of the other scent in the air. It was one of the scents that had been present at Lucy's kidnap scene, and he was fairly sure he knew which one of them it belonged to. Slowly, he turned on the spot, facing the other direction just in time for a tall, skinny man with eccentric green hair to rise up out of the ground. It looked as though he was part of the ground, anchored to the dirt with his magic.

" _Comment ça va?_ " he asked, his entire body flailing from side to side as though a strong breeze was blowing through the place. Natsu raised an eyebrow. "My name is Sol. _Monsieur Sol!_ "

Natsu stared at him. "Good for you," he said slowly. "I don't care. I only care about stopping this thing." He immediately lit his fists on fire and shot a blast of flames towards Sol, who twisted to avoid them as they went whooshing past him. A wall crumbled somewhere further down the hallway. As the smoke and dust cleared, Sol was revealed to be covered in scorch marks from being just near the fire. He adjusted his monocle and stared at Natsu intensely.

"What's this? Not attacking _moi_ directly?" he asked, leaning forward as much as his neck would let him. There was something in his expression that made Natsu extremely uncomfortable.

"If you want me to blast you into glass and shatter you, I can," Natsu threatened, lighting his fists up with hotter, darker flames for emphasis.

"My my, so violent!" Sol exclaimed, waving about like a flag in the wind. "It seems as though the rumours about you are true!"

"They're about to get even truer."

"Is that so?" Sol stopped swaying and cocked his head to the side. "Well, in that case… **_Sable Dance!_** "

A sandy brown magic circle appeared in front of Sol, and strong, warm winds immediately began blowing in a whirlwind around Natsu. Natsu closed his eyes against the stinging force of the winds, instead switching to his other senses. Hearing was currently out – the sounds of the wind rushing past his ears made him deaf to anything else – so he relied on his nose instead. He could tell when the scent moved from standing in front of him to appearing behind him, and he whirled around, dodging a boulder through his superior hearing. He then snapped his eyes open and glared heatedly at Sol.

" ** _Roche Concerto!_** " Sol yelled. A split second before it happened, Natsu felt the ground beneath his feet shift, and he leapt backwards, just as the ground erupted. Rocks rained down on where he'd been previously standing, and Natsu straightened up.

" ** _Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!_** " he shouted, and a bright jet of flame burst from his hands, heading towards Sol in a brilliant blaze. Sol ducked and gave Natsu a curious look.

"If I recall, you once lost control as a child," he said conversationally, as though they weren't hurling rocks and fire at each other. "And that is when a whole village died, _no_?" Natsu froze. How could this guy possibly know about that… "As a result of this, you've been so afraid of losing control, that you never go _all-out_."

"How about you shut up, _Mushu Sol_!" Natsu snarled, jumping backwards again as more rocks erupted from the earth. He used a larger, falling rock as a platform, jumping upwards and sending a hotter stream of fire downwards.

"It's _Monsieur Sol_ , you utter _déplorable_!" Sol snapped back, apparently annoyed with having been misaddressed. Natsu jumped upwards again, fists already lit on fire, and he rushed forwards, fist aiming for Sol's stupid face –

– And stopped short as a statue suddenly appeared in front of him. To anyone else in Fairy Tail, they would have been unrecognisable. Even Natsu himself didn't know their name, but he knew who they were. At least, he knew how they'd died.

"This young lady is one of the victims from your loss of control, _no_?" Sol asked, tone bordering on smug. Suddenly, more statues popped up around them, each one of them someone who had been at _that_ village all those years ago. Natsu felt, more than heard, a strange strangling noise leave his throat. "I took the liberty of scanning your memories when you _so rudely_ stepped on me earlier." He peered around at the first statue, before looking at the others. "You have quite the _kill count_ , _no_?"

Natsu found himself unable to speak, for the first time in years. Slowly, the fire around his fists went out, leaving faint tendrils of smoke behind.

"How could you do something so _terrible_ to people so welcoming?" Sol questioned, weaving his way through the statues like some kind of snake. "How could a little _five year old_ do something so dastardly?" Natsu didn't respond, another strangled noise leaving him, and Sol hummed, giving him a considering look. A second later, a giant stone fist was flying towards him, and it hit him squarely in the gut, sending him flying backwards into the wall with such force that it crumbled.

" _Natsu!_ "

Slowly, Natsu turned his head to the sound of the voice, his head scrambled. He looked out of the hole that had been blasted in the wall, and his eyes focused after a moment. As soon as he found the source of the voice, he stiffened, eyes narrowing and snarl forming. Across the wide gap between him and what looked like giant metal pipes, Mirajane was trapped between two of them, struggling against them.

"Mira!" he yelled back, immediately getting back onto his feet. There was an ominous chuckling from behind him.

"Oh, so that is the _fearsome_ Mirajane. Also known as the She-Devil in her day, before her little sister died," Sol said, still conversationally. He tutted softly. "She's being punished for deceiving us. Poor thing will soon be crushed to death." He turned his gaze back on Natsu. "You killed an entire village, and soon you will get to watch a friend of yours die."

His tone turned harsher. "Your _violent visage_ is really just hiding the weak boy within. The weak boy who is a _monster and a murderer_!" Natsu flinched at the accusations, but found himself unable to deny them. After all, how could he deny what was true? He was a murdering demon. That's all there was to it. "For that crime, suffer eternal torment! You will relive your memories over and over again!"

Natsu gripped his head as pain started flashing through it, almost unimaginable pain. It was such a strange sensation to him that he didn't even know how to react to it – he rarely let things get close enough to hurt, let alone an enemy invade his mind like this. If Sol said anything else, he didn't hear it, because the pain in his head was building.

And suddenly, there was white.

* * *

 _Natsu suddenly found himself standing in a village, the atmosphere so still it was horrifying. He looked around, a horrible feeling building in his gut, and he froze as his eyes landed on something across the street._

 _Bodies. Bodies of innumerable villagers, blood still staining their skin and their clothes and pooling around them. Natsu could only stare in growing horror, feeling his breath quicken. He knew exactly where he was, he realised. It seemed that the years had been kind to him, because he'd forgotten the sheer carnage that he'd wrought in his revival, or his loss of control._

 _Natsu quickly made his way through the village, finding the same scene as the first around every corner, and the sick feeling in his stomach growing more and more. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of wandering through the bloodstained village, trying to find his way around it and out of it like a labyrinth, he heard a cry. A child's cry. Knowing it, he took off running after it._

 _The cry led him to a deserted part of town – well, Natsu supposed, all of the village was deserted at that point, as there was no one left alive – where a small child was kneeling in the ground. The child looked normal enough, if not for the claws at the end of his arms, the black markings across his arms and the spiky, bloodstained pink hair. Natsu just stared at himself for a long moment, before walking over and kneeling down next to his past self. Memory self, he mentally added, slightly confused, then shrugged._

 _They were alone for what seemed like forever, but when the crunching sound of approaching footsteps reached them, both of them looked up at the same time. As he took in the person approaching them, Natsu's breath caught in his throat and his mind blanked completely._

 _Dark haired with that stupid part of his hair that always stuck up and face kind, concerned even, Zeref Dragneel walked towards his younger brother, and regarded him for a moment. Child!Natsu stared up at him in return, eyes watering, and eventually burst out, "I'm so sorry, big brother!"_

 _Zeref's expression definitely became concerned. Natsu's eyes hadn't been deceiving him. "What are you sorry for?" he asked softly, dropping to his knees beside the child and tilting his head slightly, like a curious child himself._

 _"_ _I didn't mean to… to…" Child!Natsu stared helplessly around them, unable to put what he'd done into words. Zeref seemed to understand, though, because he immediately reached forward and pulled child!Natsu into a hug. Judging by the smile on his face, it seemed that Zeref had needed the hug, as well._

 _"_ _It's not your fault," Zeref breathed out, putting a hand on child!Natsu's head. Natsu felt tingles on his own skull as he remembered the touch, even to that day. Unable to stop himself, he reached up and ran his hand through his hair, as though he could still feel the phantom touch. "It's never your fault."_

 _Child!Natsu sniffed, burying his head into Zeref's shoulder. "It hurts," he whimpered, and Natsu could almost feel the biting pain of his true form, even then. Zeref hugged him closer in response._

 _"_ _It's okay," he said softly, eyes closed. He paused for a moment. "I'll fix you, Natsu." As his brother whimpered again, Zeref began humming something. Natsu frowned, unable to recall that moment from that night. At the same time, he felt a twinge in his heart as he listened to the quiet song, as though he had forgotten something important and his heart was trying to remind him. Still humming, Zeref's hand on Natsu's back began to glow white, a glow that spread across his entire body. Slowly, the claws began to fade away, and the black markings began to disappear back into the skin. At the same time, a book had appeared in the air, and the white magic was pouring into it._

 _Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, it all stopped, and the book dropped to the ground beside them. Child!Natsu had long since slumped over in Zeref's arms, soft snores escaping him. Zeref paid the book no mind for a moment as he continued to hug his younger brother._

 _"One day, you'll create your own anchors," Zeref said slowly, hand moving over to the fallen book – the book that Natsu knew to be the Book of E.N.D. "And you won't need this anymore."_

* * *

Natsu blinked, and he was suddenly back in the real world. He felt something solid covering his skin and, out of pure irritation for that fact alone, quickly rose his body temperature enough for the stone to crack off of him. He was staring at Mirajane, who was staring at him in return with a desperate expression. His eyes focused, and he realised that there were tears running down her cheeks.

 _One day, you'll create your own anchors_.

"Why is she crying?" Natsu growled, memories of the day that they'd first met flooding his head, when she'd been terrified of her power and he'd been scared of making friends with anyone in the guild. He started to move his body, pushing the lingering stone off it, and turned to glare furiously at Sol. Sol cut himself off mid-sentence to question what was happening, but Natsu didn't give him a chance to respond as he leapt forwards, entire body wreathed in flames.

His fist landing in the middle of Sol's face was the best sound that Natsu had heard in what felt like months. Panting, he stared down at the flattened Sol, and took special pride in the growing welts that were forming on his face.

"I did lose control," he said slowly, breathing heavily. "But never again. My friends are the reason why I don't lose it." He narrowed his eyes dangerously. "And you made one of my friends cry."

Sol tried to say something, but whatever it was, it got lost amongst the growing bruises. Rolling his eyes, Natsu turned away from his thoroughly-defeated opponent and quickly used his flames to get over to Mirajane. He made quick work of the pipes still holding her in place, carefully helped her up, then transported them back to safer ground. If the safer ground could be counted as safe, since it was still enemy territory and covered in broken bricks.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at Mirajane. Physically, she seemed fine, if a little worse for wear, but he just wanted to check. After all, it wasn't every day that you were nearly crushed to death.

Mirajane gave him a smile. "Of course!" she said, sounding happy enough. Her face turned serious, and she asked, "Are _you_ okay?"

Natsu thought about it. Strictly speaking, he shouldn't be. He'd been forced to relive a memory that he'd hoped would stay buried, dead and forgotten, but at the same time, reliving it had given him the chance to _sort of_ see his brother again. And it had been years since he'd seen Zeref, he recalled with a dull ache. If anything, he mused, he was happier for having relived it. He felt as though he'd finally found something…

"Yeah," he answered, honest for the first time in a while. He then smiled, slightly maniacally, and said, fist in the air, "Let's show these ghosts what we're made of!"

Yet, as they began to leave the area behind, Sol still twitching in the dirt, Natsu couldn't help but wonder, if he was feeling happier about that memory, why was he also feeling a strange, twinging ache in his chest?

* * *

Author's note: So, that was that. Like I said, not sure how I feel about it, but I really hope it was okay! Please let me know your thoughts on it! ❤︎


	23. Chapter 23

Author's note: I know, it's been like a month since I last updated and I'm so sorry about that. A mixture of illnesses, a thousand assignments on _Ammophila arenaria_ all due on the same day, and general Christmas stuff (aka cuddles with the cat and sitting on the xbox) just kept delaying things, so here we are.

Also, sorry for the late replies!

 **Guest (Sol):** Sol might have gone through his head, but I saw it as a brief scan to find something worth using against him, and the memory in the flashback was the first thing he came across. Like, he might have come across the term 'Etherious' in that time, but outside of Zeref and his demons, it isn't a well-known term. I mean, he _could_ go to the council about the whole 'accidentally murdered an entire village' thing, but any investigations would inevitably fail, since there's no record of anything that specific in recent history, and anything from four hundred years ago would just be chalked up to 'eh, the dragons did it'. That's just how I see it, anyway.

 **Guest (BSD):** It's a toss-up between Gratsu, and Natsu and Laxus (and Happy) as the main brotp, to be honest. I love the former in canon, but it's super fun to write the latter in this fic. And yes, I did watch Bungou Stray Dogs - it's actually one of my favourite anime/mangas at the moment. If I had to compare the characters, though, I'd say that Lucy is Atsushi, since she's the new member who's just basically 'the hell have I gotten myself into?' but loves the guild, nonetheless; Natsu is Dazai, since they both have dark pasts and ultimately joined the 'good' side; both Laxus and Gray are Kunikida, Laxus more so since he's constantly exasperated by Natsu, although Gray gets into more arguments. As for the others, I don't really know.

 **Crimsonlink310:** Laxus is kinda like a cat and just wanders off and does his own thing with his own team, to be honest. He'll be back when he's hungry.

Also, I'm glad that everyone seemed to like the flashback. That's what I was most worried about last chapter, so it's gratifying to see that it turned out well ❤︎ I hope this chapter is okay, anyway!

* * *

To Gray's complete lack of surprise, a few minutes after he and Natsu parted ways, he felt and heard an explosion coming from the direction that Natsu had chosen. He rolled his eyes. Of course Natsu was already causing a ruckus. He'd probably decided to take on the entirety of the guild, just because he could. Meanwhile, Gray had yet to encounter a single person, and it was kind of pissing him off.

He made his way onto an outdoor platform, clambering upwards through a shattered window in the ceiling, and almost immediately felt droplets of cold water hitting his skin. Confused, Gray looked up, and saw that the sky was overcast and miserable-looking. Gray frowned as he stared at it. When had it started raining? He was fairly certain that it had been sunny when he'd first arrived in the Giant, and weather didn't usually change that quickly. Well, unless Laxus was around.

"Was it always raining?" he asked himself, still frowning.

" _Drip, drip, drop_."

Gray turned at the sound of a woman's voice, and jumped as a shape appeared in the mist behind him. The figure was walking towards him, and as it came into view, Gray realised that it was a woman, and probably the woman who had spoken. She was holding an umbrella above her head, and her blue hair was curled at the base. She stared at him with a look that was both vague and intensely scrutinising.

"Hello," she greeted softly, pausing in her stride to regard him. After a moment, she continued walking, this time at a more sedate pace, as though she had all the time in the world. "Yes, Juvia is the rain woman, one of the Element Four. _Drip, drip, drop_." Suddenly, the sudden appearance of rain made more sense.

"So you're one of them," Gray summarised. Honestly, he hadn't been expecting one of the Element Four to look like this, like a strong wind could easily carry them away. What had he been expecting? Probably someone menacing looking, like Gajeel Redfox, or someone just flat out ugly, since Phantom seemed to be filled with ugly people? Gray mentally shrugged. Looks didn't really matter when it came to magic power, he supposed. After all, Levy was tiny and she could crush someone with words, Erza could easily lift up an entire mountain or two, and Natsu, despite being a short annoying demon, could easily tear someone apart. It didn't really matter what she looked like. She was his opponent, and one of the Element Four at that. He narrowed his eyes and stared at her. "Then bring it on."

"I must say, I'm impressed that your guild mate managed to strike down two of the Elements," she said, faint praise in her voice. She tilted her head slightly. "However, you must not underestimate Juvia and Aria."

Gray continued to stare at her, ignoring the water running down his face. "Listen, lady, if you're looking for a fight, I'll give you one. But I don't go easy on people who hurt my friends, even if they're chicks."

Juvia stared at him, eyes unblinking, and Gray steadily met her gaze. He was ice – he could wait all day if he had to. He moved his body slightly, more towards a battle stance. Suddenly, though, Juvia's face, very pale in colour, suddenly turned red.

"Well, then," she said, sounding slightly flustered, and showing the most emotion she had done for the entirety of their pre-fight, or whatever the hell this was. "Juvia gives up. Goodbye!" She turned and started walking back towards the mist, as though she was in a hurry to get away from him. What the hell was that about?

" _Where are you going?!_ " he demanded, eyes bugging out of his head. Of all the first fights to get into, it's with a crazy chick who won't even fight him?! " ** _Come back and fight me!_** " Juvia continued walking, muttering to herself, and Gray took off after her. "Will you at least tell me how to stop the Giant?!" he shouted. Juvia suddenly stopped and turned slightly.

"Juvia has a strong urge to make him her's. Juvia can no longer hold back!" he heard her saying to herself, and before he could react, she was shouting, " ** _Water lock!_** " A bubble of water suddenly appeared around him. The cold water immediately got inside an older wound, gotten during one of his fights at the Phantom guild hall, and he let out a noise. A stream of bubbles left his mouth, and water flooded his throat.

"Oh no, what have I done?! He's injured! Juvia had no idea he was hurt!" Juvia started flailing outside of the bubble of water, waving her umbrella around erratically. _For the love of the gods…_ " _I don't know what to do!_ I guess I should probably release him!" After a moment of listening to the insane babbling from his opponent – and once again, Gray mourned his luck of running into this crazy girl – Gray opened his eyes, pushed his arms out and froze the water around him. Immediately, cold air hit him, making goosebumps appear on his wet skin, but at least he could breathe.

Juvia was red in the face, for some reason. "He must be an ice wizard!" she exclaimed. "He escaped from Juvia's water lock with his own magic!" She was staring at him with a strange look on her face. "This is the power of ice magic… _it's beautiful!_ " Immediately, her expression became vacant, a small smile appearing. Gray wasn't about to be lulled into a false sense of security again, though. She may be crazy, but she was still one of Phantom's Element Four, and that made her a dangerous enemy.

Crazy, but still dangerous.

"You almost got me with that sneaky attack there," Gray said, breathing out through the pain in his ribs. He put a hand on them to check how the bandages were – as far as he could tell, nothing had come loose in the water, which was good. Mira would probably get really upset about that, and then Elfman would kill him. "You're playin' dirty!"

Juvia made another weird noise, but Gray ignored her. Instead, he focused on taking off his shirt. It would only be a hindrance in a fight – something that Natsu had exploited many times during Gray's attempts to fight him – and he wanted to have a look at the bandage anyway. So far, so good. That was one good thing, at least.

"I really don't wanna fight a girl," he said slowly, giving her a flat look and dropping his shirt to the ground, "but I will if I have to." He changed his stance to battle-ready, and warned, "So you'd better surrender now, otherwise I'm gonna have to hurt ya!"

Putting his hands together, he shouted, " ** _Ice make: lance!_** " A volley of lances immediately appeared from the swirling, cold mist and flew towards his opponent. To his surprise, Juvia didn't try to block the attack, or even try to dodge it. Gray could only watch, speechless, as the lances pierced her body in multiple places, in what would have been, _should have been_ , a fatal attack.

Instead, the lances went straight through her, almost as though she was –

"Juvia's body is made entirely of water," she said, almost conversationally, as her body repaired itself and pulled itself back together, like there was an invisible gravitational field controlling it. She gave a small smile. "Surprised? _Drip, drop._ "

Gray gaped at her, still speechless. Not even Natsu or Laxus could turn their bodies into their respective elements. Teleport themselves via them, yes, but not _become_ them.

"Yes, Juvia mustn't forget. He's an enemy," she said, almost mournfully. Gray had no idea what the hell she was on about. Probably something to throw him off so she could sneak attack him again. "Torn apart by strife, that is their tearful fate..." She looked up suddenly. "Juvia has no choice but to attack!"

Gray blinked. So it seemed she'd remembered that she was in a fight, and fighting _him_. It was nice to be remembered at the last minute, he mentally groused.

"Farewell, my prince!" she said, holding out her free hand. An aqua-blue magic circle appeared in front of her, and she shouted, " ** _Water slicer!_** " Immediately, small bursts of water came shooting towards him, and Gray quickly jumped out of the way. The bursts of water continued on their path towards a stone tower that had been behind him, and sliced all the way through it, causing the top of it to crumble.

"When given the proper amount of force, water is strong enough to rip through steel," Juvia explained, obviously seeing Gray's befuddled look at the shattered tower. "Underestimate its powers and you'll find yourself in a world of pain."

Gray snarled, and yelled, frustrated, " ** _Ice make: battle-axe!_** "

The summoned battle-axe whizzed towards Juvia at an astonishing speed. It sliced through her middle with just as much force and ferocity as Juvia's water slicers had, but then Gray remembered what had happened the last time he had tried to attack Juvia like that.

"Can't you see that you're just wasting your time and energy?" she asked, as her body rearranged itself back to its normal state. "Against Juvia, your attacks have no effect." Her gaze turned slightly more serious. "None at all. _Drip, drip, drop._ "

"Great. How the hell do I defeat her?" Gray asked himself, gritting his teeth and adjusting his stance again. At the rate that the battle was going, he'd end up going on the defensive. That was if the battle made any headway at all. If Juvia threw water at him, he could freeze it – providing that it wasn't going fast enough to slice him in half – and anything he threw back in return just went right through her. It was kind of unfair, to be honest. And the constant rain wasn't making his mood any better, either.

"No matter what you do, you cannot defeat Juvia," Juvia stated, very matter-of-factly. Gray had to appreciate the fact that she wasn't boasting that fact like a lot of the people he'd faced down in the past, and they'd had less of a claim to that fact than she did. "But there is one way you and your guild may be spared." Oh, this ought to be good, Gray thought sardonically. Every member of Fairy Tail knew that you didn't make deals with the enemy – it was fight or not-lose, because losing wasn't an option for a Fairy Tail wizard. "All we ask is that you hand over Miss Lucy Heartfilia. Do that, and I will ask our master to call off his attack on Fairy Tail."

Despite his cold-bodied nature, Gray felt his blood boiling at the very notion of handing over one of his friends, his comrades. Clearly, Phantom didn't take friendship as seriously as Fairy Tail did. Scowling, he bit out, "Don't give me that crap!" Juvia looked slightly shocked, as far as Gray could tell. "You and I both know that we're past the point of no return." He slammed his fist into his palm, prepared to create more ice makes, and he added, voice dark, "Besides, Lucy's one of us. I'd rather give my life than hand her over."

Juvia's umbrella dropped to the ground, creating a series of splashes from the impact. Her face had gone curiously blank for a long moment, and then suddenly, she started screaming. Twisting and moving about as though she was in agony, she clutched her head, she continued to shriek, and she almost sobbed out, " _Oh, the pain! How can fate be so cruel?!_ " Gray had no idea what was going on in Juvia's head, but he also didn't want to know. All he knew was that this was one of the weirdest fights he'd ever been in, and he'd been fighting Natsu for seven years. "My heart feels like it's being shred to bits! It hurts, _oh it hurts!_ "

Feeling slightly uncomfortable, and feeling as though there was something wrong, Gray tentatively asked, "What's wrong? Are you feelin' sick or something?" Maybe if she's feeling sick, she'll feel like calling off this weird fight.

Juvia suddenly stopped moving and looked up, the oddest expression that Gray had ever seen on someone's face in place. She murmured something that Gray didn't catch, then suddenly screamed, " ** _LUCY HEARTFILIA CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO LIVE!_** "

Gray stared at her, dumbfounded.

Maybe all of this _was_ a strange nightmare, cooked up by Mystogan.

Suddenly, another jet of water hit him squarely in the stomach. However, unlike the water that had trapped him in the bubble before, this water was scalding hot. As it hit the ground around him, steam began rising up and evaporating instantly, and Gray hissed from the stinging pain. "It burns!" he winced, raising a hand defensively. "What's your deal?!" he demanded, then nearly took a step back as he took in Juvia's current state: to be frank, it looked like she'd become a demon. Hell, Natsu was an _actual_ demon and he was a hell of a lot less scarier looking than she was right now.

 _This_ was why he didn't date. Or approach girls in any way, other than to fight.

"And what's your problem with Lucy?!" he shouted, suddenly realising what had caused this rage, remembering Juvia's declaration that Lucy had to die. Gods, Gray wanted to go home. Juvia let out an annoyed noise and set another burst of what looked like boiling water towards Gray, so he quickly threw his hands together and shouted, " ** _Ice make!_** " The burst of ice, without any real form to it for once, dispelled the water and prevented it from hitting him like the last time, and it shot towards Juvia. As it got near her, though, it seemed to bend, and it just went around her to avoid her.

"She's so fast!" Gray observed, running his hand across his forehead briefly and watching the ice's progress. "I don't even know if my maker magic can keep up." Finally, it came back to Gray, and it melted back to the ground. Gray jumped to avoid the initial blast, to avoid getting injured from his own attack, but upon landing, he discovered that the ground had become slippery, and he found himself skidding to the edge of the platform. "Man, that was close!" he panted, glancing over the edge.

"Ever since the day Juvia was born, she has been followed by the rain," came Juvia's voice, suddenly close by, and Gray jumped, nearly sending himself over the edge again. "In the rain, there's nobody who can defeat Juvia." She stopped, and raised a fist into the air. Another magic circle appeared over it, and a swirling whirlpool of what looked to be hot water appeared above her. And were those angry eyes on the whirlpool? Gods, Gray really did want to go home. " _Prepare to be scalded by Juvia's jealous rage!_ " What.

Before he could start questioning _that_ further, the whirlpool started spitting, for lack of a better word, jets of boiling water at him. Gray swore and jumped backwards, having to dodge each strange attack quicker and quicker. As he jumped backwards again, another burst was heading towards him, and he quickly shouted, " ** _Ice make: shield!_** " in order to avoid being cooked. Even as he held it above his head, the ice shield began melting away in his hands, the water dripping down his arms at an alarmingly fast pace. At this rate, the water would soon be scalding him. He could almost feel it through the ice as it became thinner, and droplets of it splashed onto his skin.

"This water's scalding hot!" he said through gritted teeth, pouring more magic into his shield to try and sustain it. "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!"

"Like I told you, inside the rain is when Juvia is most powerful!" Juvia said, not letting up on her attack, nor showing any signs of exhaustion. "No one can defeat Juvia!"

Gray noticed that a lot of steam was building up around him from the constant barrage of boiling water against ice, and an idea popped into his head. Looking around. He noticed the broken window that he climbed up through to get up onto the plaform to begin with and, letting the ice shield melt away, he quickly and quietly ducked beneath the water jet and slid himself down through the window. Once inside, he paused for a moment to breathe, and a moment later, he heard the water jet above him suddenly stop, as though someone had switched it off.

It was time to move.

He started running down the hallway, muttering to himself, "I can't waste any more time on that crazy water chick!" There were other things that needed his attention more urgently, like figuring out how to stop the Giant. Suddenly, as he ran underneath one of the windows in the ceiling, a jet of scalding water broke through the glass, causing Gray to skid to a halt. The water flooded the hallway, and Gray was swept up with it. The water was painfully hot, on the other side of _too much_ , as though someone had taken a thousand tiny hot needles and was poking them all over his skin.

He was suddenly thrown into the air, and he heard Juvia shout, "It's all over now!" before another wave of boiling water came shooting towards him. Gray managed to turn himself in mid-air, and he slammed his hands together.

"Oh, yeah?!" he shouted back down at her. Instead of creating an ice make, like Juvia probably expected him to, he jumped straight into the water. His first thought was that it burned, _a lot_ , and it really hurt. If being swept up for just a moment in the room below the platform had been bad, then that had nothing on this particular bit of water. Gray shouted, after a moment of lingering there, " ** _Freeze up!_** " The tower of water began to turn into a tower of ice, and he began to slide down it, freezing it as he went. Finally, he reached the bottom, and Juvia looked shocked as she was encased in ice.

Gray realised, too late, that he was touching her in an inappropriate place that would have had Erza murdering him immediately. Inside her ice shell, Juvia was blushing, and Gray screamed, his eyes bugging out.

"It's not what you think!" he shouted, needing to explain that he wasn't actually a pervert – that honour belonged solely to Gildarts and the Master. " _I didn't mean to!_ " He quickly vanished all of the ice, and Juvia fell to her knees like a ragdoll. "Sorry!" he apologised again. Juvia just looked at him like she'd never seen him before, and didn't get up. Feeling awkward, Gray said, voice slightly higher than normal, "Hey, let's just start over, okay?!"

Juvia slowly stood up, looking at the ground. "Let's not," she said, "Honestly, Juvia cannot bring herself to harm you."

Gray was officially confused, yet again. "Huh? Is this your weird way of admitting you can't beat me?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. Honestly, whether on a date or on the battlefield, girls always confused him.

"You know Juvia is stronger than Lucy," Juvia continued, as though she hadn't heard him, still not looking at him. "If you'd let me, Juvia will be able to protect you."

Wait, what? Now she was offering to protect him? Just what on Ishgar was going on? Out of curiosity, he asked, "Protect me? Like, from what?"

Juvia still didn't meet his gaze. "Well… anything that might hurt you…" Was it Gray's imagination, or did the rain seem to be getting heavier as the seconds ticked on? "Because… I think that you're… so…"

Gray turned, holding out his arms and feeling the droplets landing on his arms. "Is it just me, or is this rain getting worse?" It wasn't just him, right? "It won't let up. Man, this rain is so _gloomy_." There was a splash behind him, and he quickly turned around to see what had happened. Juvia had fallen to her knees again, her hands gripping the ground. "Hey, is something wrong?" he asked, worried.

"He's no different than the others!" she said, appearing to be talking to herself more than him. "You're all the same!" She was suddenly back on her feet, water and steam bursting out of every part of her body, and a furiously hurt expression on her face. " _Juvia has no need for love anymore!_ "

"What's with you?!" Gray demanded, moving to the side quickly to avoid getting hit in the face with more water. Unfortunately, another blast of water immediately came after, this time moving his entire body and carving out a chunk in the ground as it went. Gray held his hands out in front of him, intending to freeze it again, but the pressure and the temperature of the water was too great.

"LOVE... _WHO NEEDS LOVE?!_ "Juvia yelled, the sound coming out distorted through the water. The pressure increased again, and Gray found himself being pushed backwards with the water, the temperature increasing rapidly. "Juvia is nothing but a gloomy rain woman, but Phantom Lord looked past that! They accepted Juvia for who she is! Juvia is one of the Element Four, a proud Phantom Lord wizard!"

Suddenly, the water surrounding Gray vanished, leaving him flying through empty space. Quickly turning, he landed on his feet and turned to face Juvia again. She was heading towards him, this time as a water apparition (apparently? Gray didn't know what she was at that moment in time), and he yelled out, through gritted teeth, "How can you be proud to be with them?!" A jet of hot water came shooting towards him, and he summoned an ice shield and held it above his head. "You and your guild are going down!"

With a mighty yell, and pouring all of the anger and frustration into his fist, he reared back his arm, and punched it into the shield. Immediately, the ice began to spread up the stream of hot water. Once it reached the top, Juvia was knocked to the side, away from the water, and small droplets of ice began to fall from the sky – small remnants of what used to be the rain. Juvia was staring at them in amazement. Slamming his fists into the ground, Gray yelled, " ** _Ice make: geyser!_** " A blue magic circle appeared next to him on the ground, and a large shoot of ice shot up out of it. It shot towards Juvia, and it immediately encased her for a moment, causing her to let out a harsh scream.

The ice shattered as quickly as it formed, and Juvia began to fall towards the ground. She didn't seem particularly interested in trying to stop her own descent, so Gray quickly summoned some ice and slid down the roof, to the very edge of the platform. She may have been the enemy, and crazy, but she didn't seem like a bad person. Just before she could get beyond his reach, he grabbed her wrist, and she opened her eyes, looking shocked.

"Just hold on, okay?" Gray shouted down to her, one hand on her wrist and the other on the edge of the platform. "I promise, I won't let you fall!"

Quickly, and as carefully as he could, Gray lifted her up back onto the roof. It turned out that pulling someone up from the edge of a building was actually harder than people made it out to be. In the end, he ended up going, " ** _Ice make: stairs!_** " and helping her walk up them, since it was kind of his fault that she couldn't really walk properly, and helped her lie down in the middle of the platform, away from any edges.

Juvia stared up at the sky, looking confused. "Why did you save Juvia?" she asked softly. She turned her head slightly to regard him.

Gray shrugged awkwardly. "Just 'cause," he answered shortly. "Now get some rest," he added, slightly gruffly. Unable to help himself, he looked over his shoulder at her and smiled, "You good now? Starting to cool down a bit?" A brightness overhead signalled the sun's appearance, and Gray turned his head to look at it.

"So bright," he heard Juvia say, slightly awed. "The rain… it stopped…"

"Hey look, the sun is coming out," Gray said, smiling.

"The blue sky… I've never… seen it before…"

"Seriously?" Gray asked, looking at her again. He smiled at her. "Well, there you go. It's pretty, don't you think?"

A flock of birds flew across the sun. "It is… It's truly… beautiful…"

He turned back to look at her, and made a strange noise as he saw a strange grin on her face. He shrugged after a moment. Whatever. At least she was getting some rest. He decided to take advantage of the silence, and just sat there, relishing the quietness. If he listened hard enough, he could hear the distant sounds of battle

"Gray!"

He turned at the sound of someone shouting his name, and was startled to see Mira and Natsu running towards him. What were they doing here? Well, Natsu he could understand, since he'd gone off to fight the enemy as well, but that didn't explain Mira's presence. She hadn't fought anyone since Lisanna had died. They slowed to a halt beside him and Juvia, and Natsu looked down at her, eyebrows raising.

"You took down Juvia Lockser?" he asked, sounding both surprised and impressed. Gray was a bit offended at the surprised part.

"Yeah, what of it?!" Gray demanded, challengingly. Natsu snorted at his tone, glancing at him, and Mira looked between them.

"She's _way_ stronger than you, snowflake. I'm just surprised you could take her down, is all." He held his hands up in a surrender gesture. "Nice going, though." Gray blinked. Had Natsu just complimented him?

"... Thanks." He couldn't let the moment turn into a sappy one, though, so he threw out, "Short mouth."

Natsu grinned at the familiarity of the situation, teeth glinting in the sun. "Ice freak."

"Boys, please," Mira reminded them, breaking up their budding argument. She gave each of them a stern look, reminding them that she was still the She-Devil, even if she was inactive. "There's only one of the Elements left. If we can defeat them, I think we can stop the Abyss Break."

Natsu nodded with her. "Mira figured it out," he confirmed, throwing an arm around her shoulders for a moment in a hug. "The combined energies of the Element Four is what's powering the Giant."

Mira put her fists together, a determined look on her face. "We can do this! Right, guys?!"

Natsu and Gray both nodded, Gray grimly determined and Natsu grinning away like an idiot. They had a giant to defeat.

* * *

Author's note: Not too much change from the canon fight, aside from mixing the dialogues from the sub and dub together (I needed help with the way Juvia talks), but hopefully this turned out okay. Please let me know your thoughts on it! ❤︎


	24. Chapter 24

Author's note: Okay, this is slightly later than usual - it's technically Tuesday, in fact. I did mean to post this about three hours ago, but honestly, I have nothing to say for myself. Beyond the fact that I was on my xbox. On Skyrim. I always lose track of time when slaying giant fus ro dahing lizards.

I know last week's chapter was a bit meh, so I'm sorry about that. I just needed to eventually post it, and while there's the option of summarising the fights that have already been done in canon, I wouldn't feel right doing that. I think all fights deserve the same amount of time and justice dedicated to them. Unless it's God Serena, in which case one sentence will do.

Anyway, I hope this is okay!

* * *

A ray of light lit up Lucy's eyelids, causing the former darkness to turn a light red. Slowly, she opened them, blinking and rubbing the sleep out of them, and she sat up, trying to get her bearings. She confusedly looked around. She was in her bed in her apartment. When had she gotten here? She had no recollection of returning home.

"When did I get back home?" she asked herself, hand going to her hair. "I thought we were in the middle of a fight..." She trailed off, still confused out of her mind. Leaning back into her pillows, she stared out of the windows, humming briefly to herself. "I wonder if it was all just a dream…" If her kidnapping by that crazy clown was just a dream, if her rescue by Natsu was just a dream, if all her various conversations with him on the way back to Magnolia were just figments of her imagination…

But she could have sworn it was real.

"Yep! It was nothing but a dream!"

Lucy turned her head, the pillow soft against her cheek, and her eyes bugged out at the sight in her room. For some reason, Natsu was in her room. While that wasn't an uncommon sight – he had a habit of sneaking into her apartment and sleeping in there, for whatever reason, and nothing Lucy did would deter him – for whatever reason, he was doing push-ups, Happy cheering him on. And was that Cana sat on one of her sofa chairs with a barrel of ale? And the chief of the village from Galuna Island next to Taurus? And Macau?

 _And they were all intruding in Lucy's room._

" ** _GET OUT!_** " Lucy yelled, the force of the shout making her sit up and shaking the framed picture of her mother.

Gray suddenly popped up from nowhere, arms crossed and wearing nothing, as per usual. "Is something moving under the covers?" he asked ominously. Lucy gasped as he realised that he was right, and she quickly moved her duvet so that she was looking underneath it. To her fear and horror, there was a familiar-looking woman underneath the covers, face partially obscured by shadows.

" _Drip, drip, drop_ ," said the woman, in the familiar melancholic voice that drifted through the recesses of Lucy's memory.

"YOU'RE CREEPIN' ME OUT!" she yelled at the woman, and out of anger, and a bit of fear, she closed her eyes. Maybe if she closed her eyes hard enough and concentrated, all of this would just go away, like water evaporating into the air from exposure to heat.

" _Lucy,_ " came another voice, a different voice, from above her. Lucy opened her eyes, and saw Reedus's face hovering above her own. " _It's just a dream!_ _ **Wake up!**_ "

" _Ahhh!_ " Out of habit, Lucy kicked upwards, sending Reedus flying with her patented **_Lucy Kick_** , and she shouted, "Hey pervert, out of my room!" She realised that she was standing up a moment later, and she looked around, getting her bearings straight, and she suddenly realised that she wasn't in her room. She wasn't even in her apartment; she was in some sort of warehouse that could have been in any town or city, "What the… this isn't my room at all…"

Reedus slowly stood back up from where she'd kicked up to, which appeared to be a pile of crates, and Lucy felt a spike of guilt for hurting one of her guild mates, albeit unintentionally. With a light groan, he started wandering over to her, picking up his easel on the way over.

" _Non_ , it's not," he agreed, rubbing his face where he'd bashed it against the crates. He slowly sat down on one of the crates, and Lucy hesitantly followed suit opposite him, folding her hands in her lap. "We're across town," He started moving the paintbrush across the canvas again, occasionally looking up at her as he talked. "Mira put you to sleep so I could move you here to keep you safe."

Lucy jumped a bit, startled. "Oh," she said, still looking at the ground. It was pretty dirty, with scuff marks from various shoes all over the place. "So she put me to sleep to protect me?" Why would she do that, Lucy internally wondered. She'd wanted to fight as well. Phantom was the one that had hurt her friends when they'd gone to avenge Levy, Jet and Droy, who'd been hurt in the _first_ place. Why were they so determined to keep Lucy out of the fight? Yes, Phantom were after her, she knew that – but she didn't want to be a burden on her guild. She wanted to pull her own weight the same as the rest of her friends.

"Oui, and then we brought you to our hideout," Reedus replied, nodding, keeping his eyes on whatever he'd started up painting again. Lucy noted that he carefully didn't say _where_ the hideout was. Probably in case Phantom's spies were hanging around, she realised. After all, she'd heard that they – as in Fairy Tail – had a telepath in their guild, so it wouldn't be entirely surprising if Phantom had something similar, or someone who could hear creepily well like Natsu could. Still, the thought of being kicked out of a fight stung more than Lucy liked to admit.

"I guess… they didn't want me to fight," she said slowly, digging her nails into her knees almost painfully, and carefully not looking at her companion. "I know I can't do as much as Natsu or Gray, but I'm not helpless!" She knew she wasn't a powerhouse like Natsu, Erza and Laxus, and the infamous Mystogan and Gildarts, both of whom she'd never seen before, but only heard whisperings of around the guild. That didn't mean she couldn't defend herself, though. She had Aquarius on her side, the most powerful celestial spirit there was – well, she quickly amended herself, Aquarius was on her side _most_ of the time – and she had various other spirits there to help her out. She wasn't alone.

"You've got it all wrong." Lucy snapped her eyes up at that, fingers gripping her skirt in shock. What did Reedus mean by that? Reedus didn't look up from his painting, but he was frowning, a look of intense concentration on his face to go with it. "Nobody thinks you're helpless. We're simply trying to protect one of our own. That's all there is to it."

"But still – I can't just sit here and do _nothing_ whilst everyone else is fighting to protect the guild!" Lucy protested vehemently, hands going to her keys instinctively – Natsu had given them back to her after he'd rescued her from the creepy clown of Phantom Lord. She stood up with a steeled expression. "I have to go back and help them."

"I can't let you do that," Reedus replied, still as calm as ever, and still not looking at her. The fact that he was so calm about the whole thing was infuriating to Lucy. "Mira gave me strict orders to keep you here."

"That's not fair!" Just as she shouted that, the warehouse started rumbling and shaking, bits of debris and dust falling from the ceiling. From across the room, Lucy could see that the door was quickly being rammed open with something extremely solid. Giant bumps appeared on the door as loud banging sounded out, and Lucy shrieked as the door shook from the force of the attempted break in. "What's that? Who's trying to get in?!"

Reedus was on his feet as well, in front of her and ushering Lucy backwards, He began mixing colours on his paint board. "Just stand back, Lucy," he said calmly, staring at the door. The door shook for another few moments, more debris flying from the ceiling and landing in Lucy's hair, before it finally burst open in a burst of smoke and dust, most of which blasted Reedus in the face.

"Reedus!" Lucy exclaimed, closing the short distance between them and putting her hands on his shoulders worriedly, "Are you okay?!"

"Well, aren't you the stubborn one?" came a voice from the haze of smoke and dust, and Lucy looked up in alarm. From the dust and debris, two figures emerged. A girl and a guy, Lucy dimly realised, the blood pounding in her ears and making her feel slightly nauseous. In the back, she could see someone else hanging upside down from the ceiling, long hair trailing the ground.

"It's over, Tubby," the girl said sharply, moving her hand to her hip and regarding them with a cool look. "Might as well give up." She nodded towards Lucy, as though she was a prize and not a goddamn human being. "So just hand over the brat."

"Our boss doesn't like waiting around," the guy next to her added. Lucy noted that, for whatever reason, one of the lenses in his glasses had been knocked out. The obscured figure hanging behind them chuckled lowly.

Reedus was painting something on his chest, and without moving his eyes from the enemy, he said, "Lucy. Run whilst you still can."

Lucy jerked back into motion, her hand hovering uncertainly over her keys. "And leave you?" she demanded, the thought of leaving Reedus, her comrade and friend, to fight three people alone almost making her mouth taste bitter. She narrowed her eyes, determination flooding through her. "I'll stay here and fight!"

"Please... for the sake of the guild… _Do it!_ "

"Stop it. I'm gonna cry," came a mocking voice, and Lucy looked towards the source of it. The dust that had been blocking the view before had cleared away, allowing her to see who was hanging from the ceiling. The moment her eyes landed on the person, she froze, her blood almost running cold. Phantom Lord's iron dragon slayer was hanging from the ceiling, arms crossed, and he looked like he was ready to take them both on in a fight, even without the help of his two comrades. There was another noise, and Lucy thought that the other two might have spoken, but whatever they said she heard none of it.

" ** _Pict Magic!_** " Lucy started at the sound of Reedus shouting, and turned in time to see a brilliantly green magic circle appear in front of him. " ** _Roar of Silver!_** " From the magic circle, three large Vulcans suddenly appeared, leaping towards the Phantom wizards with a series of loud noises.

The girl leapt forward, hand out and cocky smile in place. " ** _Mirror Magic: Form Mirror!_** " she shouted, and another green magic circle appeared in front of her, and a series of mirrors popped into existence. They were arranged in front of her and the other nameless guy like a shield, and when the Vulcans leapt at them to attack, they disappeared into them. Lucy instinctively took a step back, knowing that whatever had just happened wasn't going to be bad news for them. The girl gave them another smile. "My mirrors will reflect any attack right back at you!" Almost immediately following that, the Vulcans reappeared again, this time leaping at Reedus.

As Reedus went down with a deafening crash, the Vulcans pinning him to the ground, Lucy took a stumbled step backwards, eyes darting around the warehouse, and turned into a run. "I'm so sorry, Reedus," she said quietly, closing her eyes for a second as guilt spiked her stomach. There was suddenly a blinding pain on her cheek, and Lucy felt herself go flying backwards. A loud thud, followed by an explosion of pain in the bottom of her spine, alerted Lucy to the fact that she'd landed.

"You're gonna leave fatty here to take the fall?" Lucy groggily looked up at the sound of Gajeel Redfox's voice, her hand going to her cheek. It seemed relatively unmarked, save for a few scratches, but it felt hot and tender to the touch. Gajeel gave her a look. "That's not nice." Lucy slowly got to her feet, hand dropping to her side. Finally upright again, she wobbled slightly, feeling lightheaded, but glared at Gajeel with all she had. Her first thought was to use one of her keys, summon one of her spirits and run. However, she also knew that that was the fear talking.

She could never just leave one of her spirits to deal with a monster like this whilst she took off running. The very thought of doing that made Lucy feel a different sort of sick.

"How pathetic." Gajeel's voice, grating and mocking, brought her back out of her thoughts. "Do they just let anyone join Fairy Tail? What a pathetic excuse for a guild."

Lucy glared at him, her balance finally righted and her blood burning with righteous anger. " _Take that back!_ " she demanded, looking him straight in the eye.

Gajeel stared straight back, a light smirk forming. "You gonna make me?"

Before she could say anything further, they were both momentarily distracted by the sound of screaming and crashing. She glanced over at where it was coming from, and was alarmed to see that it was Reedus, once again bearing the brunt of another magic attack. She stared, unable to formulate words past the growing lump in her throat.

"What a cream puff," Gajeel snorted. His arms were crossed, and his eyes were almost glowing. "You actually _like_ hanging out with guys like that, _little princess_?"

Between the anger and the lump in her throat, the anger won out, dissolving the lump as though it was acidic. "You monster!" she snarled, glaring at Gajeel with all she could muster. She felt a sharp, stinging pain in the corner of her eyes, and part of her vision blurred. "You're gonna pay for this."

She knew she didn't have a lot of energy left, certainly not enough magic power to call upon one of her spirits even if she wanted to now, but Lucy trusted her friends, her guild. If she ended up captured by Phantom Lord again, she trusted in her friends to stop them. Steadying her stance a bit more, she rushed forward, jumped, and shouted, " ** _Lucy kick!_** " She felt her foot collide with something solid, then landed again, glaring defiantly at Gajeel.

She didn't even flinch when the gloved fist came flying towards her face. The last thing she managed to do before everything went black was spit on Gajeel's grim boots, and a rush of satisfaction filled her veins.

Then, nothing.

* * *

When Erza felt herself drifting close to consciousness, but not quite there yet, she realised that there was a deep, aching pain on her abdomen. The second thing she dimly noticed, as she drifted closer to the surface, was that her arms felt as though she had been working out for about ten hours straight, followed by being forced to fight without her armour in hand to hand combat. The last thing she noticed was that whatever she was lying on, it was far from soft.

Like a bubble being burst, she carefully opened her eyes. Light immediately assaulted her, forcing her to squint until her eyes adjusted, and carefully turned her head to the side, wincing. There was a strange pain in her neck that she didn't remember having before falling unconscious – then again, her entire body ached like she'd just lost a fight with a train.

From what she could make of her surroundings, combining it with the fact that her mind was still fizzled out, Erza eventually concluded that she was in the guild hall, lying on one of the longer tables. With a pained noise, she forced herself to sit up, pulling her knees up to her chest for a moment and just listening to the sounds of fighting, just beyond the guild hall's walls. For a fleeting second, she had the sensation of being back – _there_ , the ground almost shaking with the force of the fighting, the yelling.

Erza shook her head, clearing away the mental fog. "I'm not there," she muttered to herself, carefully jumping off the table. The landing made the pain in her legs jolt, and she hissed, nearly biting her tongue. Well, at least she knew what happens when a Jupiter cannon is shot at someone, she thought with grim amusement. Walking over to the window, she looked out. Across the stretch of ground in front of her, members of her guild were fighting dark, wraith-like creatures, and across from their precious guild hall stood Phantom's. Erza felt some of her blood leave her face as she realised what she was looking at.

"The Giant," she murmured, eyes moving across it. Directly above it, and what seemed to be the rest of the town, was a giant magic circle that was slowly being drawn. Erza narrowed her eyes at it, wondering why there was a magic circle there in the first place. Whatever the reason, it wouldn't be good news for their guild.

Taking a breath, Erza muttered, " ** _Requip_** ," and started walking towards the door, feeling her everyday armour appear on her. Just the presence of her armour made her feel stronger, and she steeled her expression as she stepped outside, started walking towards the Giant. Around her, people were still fighting the wraiths – what were they, anyway? – and Erza couldn't tell if they were winning or not. The wraiths seemed to just keep coming.

"Erza!"

Erza turned her head at the sound of someone shouting her name, and saw Cana running over to her. She looked dishevelled, with marks of dirt and blood marring her face, but her eyes alight with a fierce determination. A determination that Erza knew was a universal thing in all of her comrades. She almost smiled, but kept her expression serious in the end. This was a battlefield, after all. There would be time for smiling later.

"Is everyone okay?" Erza asked, jumping straight to the point. That was her first priority. She may have stopped the Jupiter cannon – and was certainly feeling the after effects of it – but what if something had happened when she was unconscious? Cana nodded quickly, hair bouncing with the motion.

"Yeah," she answered, eyes darting around them constantly, body tense. She suddenly threw a couple of cards over her shoulder, and a wraith behind her suddenly exploded in a mix of what seemed to be lightning and white magic. "We're holding up here," Cana started again, gesturing around them to the other members of their guild. She grimaced. "Although I'm not sure how much longer we can keep this up."

Erza scanned the crowd as well. "Where's Natsu and Gray? And Mira?" she added, noting the distinct lack of long white hair.

Cana pointed up at the Giant. "Natsu and Gray went to fight the Element Four. Mira got caught by Phantom for deceiving them, but Natsu got her out." Erza frowned and looked back up at the Giant again. "I think Mira sent Lucy off somewhere safe, as well," Cana added, and Erza nodded, thinking. She looked around, looking for something that could help her work out what to do, and spotted a familiar blue cat, hovering anxiously near Wakaba and Macao. Erza immediately jogged over to them, making a beeline for Happy.

Happy took one look at her face and his expression became fearful. "Whatever I did, I'm sorry!" he squawked out, waving his paws in front of him.

"Happy, I need you to fly me up there," Erza said, ignoring Happy's ramble and pointing towards the Giant. Happy's expression morphed into something more dubious, looking between her and the Giant.

"I might be able to," he said slowly, paw going to his face in a thinking manner. "You're heavier than Natsu…"

Erza narrowed her eyes at him, face darkening. "What was that?" she demanded softly, and Happy immediately looked like he wanted to find the nearest hole and bury himself. Or go up the nearest chimney and make a nest.

" _Nothing! I said nothing!_ " he said shrilly, the force of his shouts making him almost lose balance in the air. "I'll fly you up there!" Without waiting for an answer, Happy flew behind her and grabbed hold of Erza's armour. Within seconds, the ground fell away from her feet, and Erza looked onwards towards the approaching Giant. Happy flew over the general area, and Erza's eyes scanned for a suitable landing spot.

"Fly down there," she directed, pointing at some sort of ledge. Happy immediately complied, and within moments, her feet were back on solid ground. Erza took a moment to look around and assess the area around her. From what she could see, a hole had been blasted in the wall in an area across from them. From the scorch marks on the bricks, she guessed that it was Natsu's handiwork. Taking another deep breath, Erza turned and started walking into the building, walking down a partially smashed up hallway. She was dimly aware of Happy following her, nervousness in every wing beat.

"I wonder where everyone is," she said aloud, frowning. Admittedly, she had only just arrived, but she expected there to be enemies crawling around every corner. So far, she hadn't even seen a single enemy, even from the air. She walked through a towering archway, and found herself in what seemed to be some sort of foyer. A large set of steps were at the end of the large room, and Erza frowned again, this time in confusion. She turned, and was about to start walking forward again, when she felt a presence appear behind her.

It felt cold, but not in the ways that winter and snow were cold. The presence chilled Erza to the bone, like she had been caught in the rain for too long, and there was something else that lingered with the feeling.

 _Death._

Erza shivered in an effort to shake off the cold and feeling of death, and she slowly turned to face the presence, hand going to her sword. A large man was standing in the centre of the room, his eyes covered with a single strip of a bandage. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she recognised the man.

"Aria, of the Great Sky," she said coolly, and Aria inclined his head, hands together across his chest.

"Erza Scarlet," he greeted cordially, unmoving. "What a shame that Titania will be the first to lose her head."

"So you're the one who harmed our master," she continued, as though Aria had not spoken. That alone was reason for rain judgement down on this villain, in her books anyway. She continued to stare at him, expression unchanging. "He suffered greatly by your hands." Just the thought of the master lying in her arms, weak and fragile, set her blood on edge. "I will **avenge** him."

Aria chuckled, as though he'd found something she said amusing. "Well, now that I've finally found a worthy opponent, I suppose I shall have to take this fight seriously." He reached up, and started to remove the bandage that covered his eyes.

"Careful!" Happy warned, sounding fretful as he looked between her and Aria. "His magic is strongest in his eyes!"

Erza didn't move from her spot, hand still hovering over the hilt of her sword. "I know," she replied, not taking her eyes off her opponent for a moment. She quickly glanced at Happy, and nodded to the corner of the room. "Go over there," she said softly, but sternly. Happy hesitated, but upon seeing the look on Erza's face, he quickly flew over to the other side of the room, as far as he could get from her and Aria. Erza breathed a sigh of relief. At least Happy would be safe from this fight.

Then again, this fight would be over quickly. Erza would make sure to it.

Aria pulled the bandage off, letting it flutter to the ground, and he opened his eyes. Immediately, the purple pupils dilated into crosses, almost like bullseyes. Perfect. At least Erza knew where to aim her sword, now.

"Now, Titania," he said, a tad dramatically in Erza's opinion. He moved his hands, and a sharp wind started to blow around him. The wind whipped at her face, pulling her hair behind her head. "Step into **_Zero_** , airspace of death! It consumes the lives of all who dare to enter!"

That made Erza grind her teeth in disgust, and she held her hand out to the side. A red magic circle appeared below her hand, and she pulled out a stronger sword than the one at her hip. "A spell that consumes life?!" she demanded, hand over her eyes to try and keep any dust and dirt from flying into them. She grabbed hold of the sword's hilt with both hands and held it in front of her, pointing the (newly sharpened) blade at Aria. "Tell me: **_how can you do this_**?! How can you just take lives so easily?! **_You scoundrel!_** "

Like some sort of twisted pantomime, Aria grinned and responded, "It'd be more fun to show you!"

Erza ground her teeth again, tightened her hold on the sword, and immediately took off running towards Aria, into the wind. She ignored Happy's cry of " _Erza!_ " and focused only on her target: the man who had dared harm their master.

"Let's see how well you handle _this_ , Titania!" Aria shouted, and he threw out his hand. She didn't catch what he shouted, the wind muffling any sound around her, but golden missile-like things came flying towards her. In response, Erza sped up, holding onto the sword with both hands and letting out a battle cry as she dodged the missiles. Faster she ran, still shouting, and began to cut through the wind, carving a clear path to her target. She eyed Aria, and silently requipped into her Heaven's Wheel armour, and leapt up into the air.

She then swung with both swords as she leapt downwards from her vantage point, shouting, " ** _Heaven's Wheel!_** " and sliced both swords outwards. " ** _Blumenblatt!_** " A shower of swords rained down on Aria, and as she leapt out of the way, swords still poised, she heard Aria's scream of defeat. She landed back on the ground lightly, and heard the hard thump of Aria hitting the ground behind her.

Slowly, she requipped back into her normal armour, and stumbled from the adrenaline, a lightheaded feeling washing over her. "Someone like you could never hold a candle to the strength of our master," she said quietly, slightly breathlessly, not looking at him for a moment. She then turned and gave him a dark look. "You'll be remembered only as a sobbing coward who fell by _my_ hand."

"She took him out with one hit!"

"She is one scary lady."

Erza turned at the sound of more voices, hoping that they were friendly. She really didn't have the energy to fight more enemies, and the pains across her body had only gotten worse with more movement. To her surprise, though, and crushing relief, she saw Natsu, Gray, and Mira standing by one of the entrances, watching her with shocked, impressed or disapproving expressions. Erza supposed that Mira looked disapproving of her being there because of her low magic power, and the injuries she'd gotten from the Jupiter cannon.

"Awesome job, Erza!" Natsu congratulated, fist bumping Happy as he talked. He then frowned, as though another thought occurred to him. "Wait, are you sure you're okay to be here?"

Erza opened her mouth to respond, but the sudden shaking of the ground distracted her. The entire building felt like it was moving, and Natsu looked like he was going to throw up. It stopped as soon as it started, and Erza suddenly felt all of her strength leave her. Wordlessly, she let herself collapse to the ground.

Instead of hitting cold stone, though, she instead hit the warmth of someone's arms, and she looked up, dazed.

"Erza!" Natsu said worriedly, carefully lowering her to the ground. Erza couldn't bring herself to say anything, and instead just closed her eyes.

" ** _Pay attention, you pathetic Fairy Tail worms, because I'll only say this once_** ," suddenly came a loud voice, as though it was transmitting to all of them across a system. Erza vaguely recognised it as José. She opened her eyes slightly, and saw Natsu looking up as well, a frown in place. A scream suddenly sounded out over the system, and something in Erza's gut lurched. She recognised that scream.

Next to her, Natsu let out a sharp growl, and the way his fangs were glinting suddenly looked more menacing. "Lucy," he said darkly, staring up with a murderous look in his eyes.

"Oh no," Mira murmured quietly, somewhere to the side.

" ** _We have captured your precious Lucy Heartfilia, which means our first order of business is now out of the way_** ," José continued. " ** _That leaves us with just one more thing. My favourite part. Wiping all of you brats right off the face of the Earth!_** "

"No way," Natsu growled. He seemed to be struggling to control his temper. "They got Lucy." Something in him seemed to snap, because when he next spoke, it sounded as though he was spitting out fire with every word. " _I'll make them pay_."

She heard shuffling, and Erza knew that Natsu had picked himself up off the ground. He walked forward a few steps, then stopped. "I'm gonna find her," he said, and he seemed to be talking to all of them.

"Shouldn't someone come with you?" she heard Gray ask. Natsu stopped in his steps again.

"I'll be fine," he said, and his voice promised pain to whoever had dared to hurt Lucy. "You should stay here and watch over Erza." Erza couldn't even bring herself to be annoyed with him for assuming that she needed looking after. Even so, she'd challenge him to another fight when all of this was said and done. There were a few moments of silence, then the footsteps resumed. "Come on, Happy!"

"Aye, sir!" A whooshing sound, the flapping of wings, and the footsteps eventually faded away.

* * *

Author's note: So, yeah. That was that. I don't know if anyone else is an RT fan, but there's a small Jeremy quote from On the Spot in there. Points if you can find it. Anyway, I hope this was okay, and please let me know your thoughts!


	25. Chapter 25

Author's note:

 _Ramble incoming -_

Hello, my lovelies! I'm so, so sorry about the impromptu hiatus! It's just. You know how degrees are. There are a lot of assignments to do. And _**exams**_. And I figured that since I'm paying a lot of money (and wow it's easily the most expensive whim I've ever had, all thanks to one RT podcast episode) to do this, I want to actually do best I can. On the plus side, all my hard work has paid off, and I've actually passed my first year, and at the top of my class no less, so. Onwards to second year next month! Where the work will be even harder!

 _Ramble over:_ Anyway, I technically had this written months ago, but I like having at least two chapters in a queue/backup. So. \\_(ツ)_/ I've only just recently edited it though. Really hope this turned out okay!

* * *

As Natsu ran down the mostly abandoned hallways, striking down any unfortunate Phantom wizard that happened to be in the way, he was continuously listening out for Lucy. Distantly, he could hear her screaming, but it sounded muffled, as though he was hearing it from several rooms away. The thought that someone was causing a comrade of his pain, pain enough to scream like she had done, made his blood boil.

"Natsu?" Happy asked tentatively, gliding a touch lower so he was almost level with Natsu's face. Natsu hummed to show he was listening, and Happy continued, "What're you gonna do when we find her?"

Without thinking, he let out a small snarl, and Natsu replied, "I'm gonna burn whoever's hurting her to ash." A beat, punctuated by the sound of frantic footsteps, then, "I'll burn the whole guild down. Nobody messes with Fairy Tail."

Happy said nothing, but Natsu could feel the nervousness emanating from him, like a beacon of light. He ignored it, though, in favour of running. When it came down to it, he knew Happy wouldn't object to him turning whoever was hurting Lucy into a pile of ashes. Suddenly, another loud scream sounded out, louder than the others, causing Natsu's ears to twitch. At the same time, he caught Lucy's scent, along with someone else's – he growled as he recognised the other scent. Abruptly, he looked upwards, towards the ceiling, and had his suspicions confirmed. The scents and noise seemed to be coming from almost directly above them. He listened for another moment, trying to pinpoint their location.

"Natsu?" Happy asked worriedly, hovering fretfully next to him. Saying nothing, Natsu gently grabbed hold of Happy, making sure he was secure, and had flames burst out from his feet. Immediately, with an angered yell, they shot upwards towards the ceiling, towards where he could hear Lucy and the iron dragon slayer. The ceiling broke as Natsu's free fist came into contact with it, and the next one rushed down to meet them. On and on they went, Natsu smashing through the ceilings and Happy yelling at him, until finally, when they smashed through another, Natsu caught a glimpse of blonde hair, lying against a wall.

The flames on his feet vanished, and he dropped down to the ground with a _thump_. From what he could see, Lucy seemed to be holding on, although judging by the bruises and grazes that marred her skin, she seemed to have been the subject of some pretty brutal things as of late. Natsu didn't even bother to try and hide his rage, and he slowly turned to face the other occupant of the room – well, technically there were some other Phantom members there as well, but their magic power levels weren't even a blip to him. As such, he ignored them.

Gajeel laughed. "I guess there is a trick to catching a salamander." He grinned, then said, "I knew I smelled you here."

"Unlike you Phantom creeps, I watch out for my friends," Natsu snarled, small flecks of fire starting to appear over his skin. Behind him, where Lucy was still lying, he could hear Happy talking to her, but he paid them no mind. There were bigger fish to fry, then turn to ashes. "I won't let you lay a _finger_ on her!"

"Natsu," Lucy said quietly, but Natsu ignored her. There would be time for talking later, once he was done with his theoretical fish frying.

"Stay back," he commanded, as gently as he could, given his current rage levels. "This could get ugly." He momentarily glanced over his shoulder. "You too, pal," he added, and Happy nodded, settling down next to Lucy with another worried look on his face.

"Gajeel!" one of the lesser Phantom members said, looking like he wanted to join in on their budding battle as well, but Gajeel smirked, readying his stance.

"This one's mine," he said lowly, launching himself forward in a flying attack. Natsu watched with a flat expression as Gajeel came sailing towards him, waiting until he was seconds away from kicking his face, then disappeared in a flash of flames. With a rush of adrenaline, and something akin to primal excitement rushing through his veins and ears, he reappeared in a split second behind Gajeel.

With a roaring, " ** _Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!_** " he launched his fire covered fist into Gajeel's unprotected back, and used the momentum that the other slayer had to propel Gajeel forwards. With a blank expression, he watched Gajeel fly forwards, then twist himself around in the air like a cat, and landed in a kneeling position. His nails elongated for a brief moment as they dragged along the floor, leaving large trenches in the stone. He looked up, and whilst there were marks on his face now, he looked no more worse for wear than Natsu himself did.

Natsu hummed thoughtfully. "You're more durable than I thought," he said tonelessly, fire idly spreading up his arms. "Maybe I'll actually get a challenge for once."

Gajeel grinned, straightening back up and cracking his knuckles. "This might actually be fun," he mused idly, before launching his arm forward. It immediately elongated into an iron club, and he swung it towards Natsu. In response, Natsu dodged to the side, grabbed hold of it and leapt up into the air, spinning them around and throwing Gajeel against the opposite wall. Gajeel planted his feet into the wall, causing a giant, splintering crater to appear in the stone, and held up the club as Natsu flew at him, body engulfed in flames.

The resultant explosion of the two elements going against one another sent a shockwave through the room, shaking the ground. The insignificant other Phantom members immediately started shouting unintelligibly, scurrying about in an attempt to get away from the battle ground.

Gajeel pushed himself up from the wall, kicking at Natsu as he twisted in the air, and Natsu let out a grunt of surprise as the hit actually connected with his stomach. Almost instantly, a dull ache spread across his torso, but nothing that couldn't be ignored. Growling in retaliation, Natsu pulled his fist back, and shot it forwards, fire engulfing it like a comet. It struck Gajeel across the cheek and eye, and there was something far too satisfying in the way Natsu felt the bones beneath his knuckles crunch, the way Gajeel shot across the room like a goddamn shooting star and ploughed into the wall on the other side of the room and causing dust and debris to rain down around them.

Maybe the demon in his heart was getting a bit too much enjoyment out of this, but Natsu couldn't bring himself to care. Not when the one responsible for Levy, Jet, Droy, and Lucy's injuries was within punching range.

" ** _Fire Dragon's Talons!_** " he yelled, launching himself across the room with flames shooting out of his feet. Teeth bared in frustration, he kicked at Gajeel again, and as his flames came into contact with the iron club again, another fiery shockwave shot outwards. The entire room seemed to be getting warmer just from that alone, which suited Natsu just fine. The warmer, the better. Gajeel grinned, and, like a self-destruct button had just been pressed, a wave of grey magic exploded from his arm, and Natsu found himself flying backwards, thoroughly surprised.

He landed a few feet away, half crouching with his nails digging trenches into the ground, just as Gajeel had done, and he smirked. Wordlessly, he drew his arm upwards, then slammed it down with such force that the ground beneath his fist shattered into a small crater. Fire coursed down his arm, sinking into the ground. Less than seconds later, they reappeared where Gajeel was picking himself up, bursting out of the ground like a twisted, hellish geyser. Gajeel dove sideways to avoid it. Strictly speaking, that tactic wasn't _exactly_ slayer magic, but Gajeel was a dragon slayer. Like Natsu, he had the durability of a dragon, and could handle it.

Slowly, Natsu straightened up, not taking his eyes off of his opponent. Gajeel did the same, his eyes darting around as though expecting more geysers of fire to shoot up out of the ground.

"For being fairy scum," he said conversationally, hand going to his jaw and cracking it, "you sure are cocky."

Natsu growled, a stream of smoke shooting out of his nose in the process. "You're the scum here, pal," he replied, biting back the urge to just be done with the fight and destroy everything around him. "You beat up Lucy." His tone turned darker, fire spreading outwards to his fists and arms. "I'm gonna make sure to return the pain a thousand times over, starting with melting that iron face of yours."

Gajeel laughed, cracking his shoulders and back. "Sounds like fun." The grin sharpened, his fangs flashing. "So give it a shot!"

At the same time, they both took off running, and leapt at each other. Gajeel had transformed his arm into the iron club again, and Natsu smashed his fist into it, determined to shatter him into scraps of iron. He heard Gajeel land, then a kick immediately come flying towards him. Natsu turned and moved to the side, just enough to dodge the kick, and leapt up onto the iron club, using it as a platform to launch himself into the air. He then used his flames to propel himself forward, and smashed his fist into Gajeel's face.

Another wave of grey magic hit him, and the two slayers were sent flying apart. Natsu stood up, and noticed that Gajeel had traded his iron club for a different weapon. This time, his arm looked as though it was a sword, with spikes protruding from the edges of it, and coloured the same grey as the magic he wielded.

"That's a pretty gnarly toy you've got there," Natsu commented idly, nodding at the sword, and Gajeel grinned, raising it up slightly.

"This is the Iron Dragon's Sword," Gajeel said, and the spikes on it began moving at a pace so fast, not even Natsu's eyes could keep up with it, and eventually blurred into a dangerous looking halo. "Anything it touches is torn to shreds!" The sword made a noise, as though agreeing with Gajeel. "I thought I'd give you an up-close demonstration!"

Natsu hummed. "Nice," he said, a touch flatly. "I'm so scared."

Gajeel cackled, sounding as though he'd lost it along with the iron club, and immediately launched forwards. The sword swung forwards, heading towards Natsu, and Natsu transported himself a few feet away, watching with a bored expression. Where he had been standing seconds before, the sword had created yet another crater in the ground, the spikes still moving at that unintelligibly fast pace. After watching for a moment, he grinned darkly.

" ** _Flash_** ," he murmured, swiping his hand down, and a small, spark-like flame appeared where his hand had stopped, and immediately sailed further into the air. After a second, it exploded, and everyone in the room started yelling, incoherent panic in their voices. Taking advantage of their momentary blindness – the result of using that particular Curse – Natsu quickly transported himself again, this time behind Gajeel, and proceeded to punch him in the back again, fists aflame. Gajeel shot forward, but managed to stop himself from flying into the wall by digging his fingers into the ground.

A retaliatory swing of the lethal-looking sword came Natsu's way again, and he leapt up into the air to avoid being skewered by it. He glanced down, and saw that Gajeel was grinning again.

"What's the matter, Salamander?" he asked, swinging the sword at him again. "Are you scared?" Natsu didn't reply, landing a few feet away. "I've gotta give you credit for being such a nimble little fairy, though."

Natsu regarded him with a cool look that felt out of place with his current mood. "And you're more durable than I thought you'd be," he replied, repeating his words from before.

Gajeel smirked, and a green magic circle appeared below him. "You ain't seen nothing yet." Before Natsu's eyes, Gajeel's skin slowly turned iron-grey, and light shone off of it, accentuating the scale pattern. Natsu tilted his head, interest piqued. The magic circle vanished, and Gajeel was left with his entire body covered in what looked like iron armour. "Are you ready, fairy?!" he yelled, and Natsu gave a grin, eyes darkening.

"Come," was all he said in response, raising his body temperature and the temperature of his fire. Gajeel leapt forwards, almost roaring,

" ** _Iron Dragon's Hard Fist!_** " Gajeel yelled, smashing his iron-covered fist towards Natsu. Natsu raised an arm, in a mockery of what Gajeel had been doing earlier with the iron club, and Gajeel's fist slammed into it. Instead of flying backwards like most wizards would, though, Natsu remained standing, as though nothing had touched him. Gajeel looked stunned that they were even able to be in a stalemate.

"You're not the only one who can do that," Natsu commented, voice somehow flat as before, yet teasing on mockery. A fire, starting in the arm locked in the stalemate, started to spread across his body, engulfing every inch of him. He could even see flames flickering in the edges of his vision. He pushed back slightly, raising his body heat a bit more, and growled, "Fire melts metals."

Gajeel kicked at him, swiping his legs at Natsu's knees, and retorted, "Your puny flames are no match for my iron!" He shoved back, as though to prove a point about his iron. "This ain't normal iron!"

"And this ain't normal fire, either!" Natsu snapped back, Calling upon his latent Etherious strength – strength that was normally hidden for the sake of people around him – he drew his fist back, and launched it and himself forward, smashing it against Gajeel's face. " ** _Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!_** " The fire on his opposite hand suddenly flared up, and he brought his hands together, and slammed them into Gajeel's chest, sending him flying into the wall. Natsu stared for a moment as Gajeel straightened up, a predatory gleam in his eyes, and remarked, "You sure I can't crack that armour?" Gajeel frowned, then, looking confused, and Natsu nodded towards his arm. "You sure you don't feel a draft?"

As if on cue, the armour shattered – small, shining pieces of iron falling off of him like a sharper version of snow and ash. Gajeel looked like he couldn't formulate words for a long moment, but turned back to Natsu. The fight was still there in his eyes, and Natsu took a couple of steps forward. "I won't be losing to you," he said quietly, hyper-aware of the eyes on him. His expression shifted, ever so slightly. "Not whilst I have my friends with me. Not whilst I'm fighting for them."

* * *

 _Natsu stared around the large room of the building he'd walked into, partially out of wonder and partially out of self-consciousness. Humans of every age were sitting around him, most paying him no mind as he slowly made his way through the assorted tables and chairs. Sitting on a wooden bar on the other side of the room was a short, older man, drinking something that smelled nauseating. Taking a breath, Natsu made his way over to him, keeping his eyes to the ground._

 _The old man noticed him approaching, put his drink down, and smiled at him. "Hello, there!" he said cheerfully, and Natsu reluctantly raised his head. "How can I help you, young man?"_

 _Natsu opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, trying to come up with the right words. "Is this a wizard's guild?" he asked instead, glancing around again. A couple of the humans were looking at him in interest, now, but Natsu himself paid them no mind. There were more important things to do._

 _"_ _Yep!" the old man replied, jumping down off the bar and standing next to him. He seemed even shorter when standing next to Natsu, he idly noted. "This is Fairy Tail, and I'm the master of this guild." He gave Natsu a strange look, almost knowing. "Do you have magic?" At Natsu's befuddled look, he explained, "I can sense your magic power. It's very different to everyone else's here." Another look, curious this time, then, "What sort of magic do you use?"_

 _"_ _Dragon slayer magic," Natsu replied, and the master's eyes widened slightly._

 _"_ _Now that's a magic I've not seen or heard of for a long time," he mused, giving Natsu another curious look._

 _"_ _I – yes. Right," Natsu stuttered out, feeling a bit flustered. He took another deep breath to try and calm himself. "I'm looking for my dad. I was wondering if you could help me find him?"_

 _"_ _That depends." The guild master jumped back up onto the bar and stared at Natsu, idly twirling his staff. "Who is he?"_

 _"_ _Igneel." At the blank look he received, he elaborated, "The Fire Dragon King."_

 _The master's eyes widened, yet again, and he leaned forward, surveying Natsu with interest. "A dragon, huh?" he asked, looking away for a moment in thought. "There haven't been any dragon sightings for centuries…" Natsu's face fell, the thought of no one having seen his father sending a strange pang through his chest. "Although, I'm sure that if you stuck around with us, you'd be sure to hear if he shows up!" the master quickly added on, gesticulating wildly. "After all, a guild is where everyone takes on jobs. We'd know immediately if there was a dragon sighting."_

 _"_ _I – " Natsu compulsively looked around, and found a few more people watching them. One of them, a boy around his age, was watching curiously, dark eyes glinting under dark hair. Natsu noted that for whatever reason, he was missing all of his clothes, bar his underwear. He paused, and tried again. "I – "_

 _How could he put into words the reason why he couldn't join the guild, without revealing what he was?_

 _The master narrowed his eyes for a moment, before the expression softened. He jumped down from the bar again, this time bringing the cup of whatever liquid he'd been nursing before. "How about we talk somewhere private?" he suggested, tone gentle, and Natsu wordlessly nodded. The master began to make his way through the tables, and Natsu hesitantly followed him, ignoring the eyes on him, and followed him up the stairs to a small room in the corner. He then cautiously sat, watching the master move his hand over the door. A strange golden glow filled the room for a second, then faded as quickly as it started._

 _"_ _So the nosy brats can't hear us," he said, noticing Natsu's befuddled expression. Natsu slowly nodded, watching the master make his way around the desk, and sit on the other side. Once settled, with the cup of disgusting liquid in front of him, the master leaned forward, hands clasped together. "Now, is there something troubling you?"_

 _The tone of voice he used, even just his general demeanour, reminded Natsu so much of Igneel – and even Zeref, to an extent – that it sent another strange pang through his chest. He swallowed, took a deep breath to try and calm himself, and replied, "I can't join your guild…" He wanted to, though. He paused, breath coming out in stutters, then, "I shouldn't join your guild."_

 _"_ _Why do you think that?" the master asked, leaning forward a bit more, a softly inquisitive look on his face. Natsu couldn't meet his eyes, looking down at his hands, twisting in his lap._

 _"_ _You wouldn't want me to join your guild," he said, voice quiet. He squeezed his eyes shut for a long moment, and heard the non-committal hum from the other side of the desk._

 _"_ _I don't see why I_ wouldn't _want you to join Fairy Tail," the master said, voice frank, and Natsu looked up again. He opened his mouth, not sure entirely what he was going to say, but any words died away almost instantly. "You seem like a nice kid, with plenty of magic power to spare." He gave Natsu a look that he couldn't read. "I've been told that I'm a good judge of character."_

 _"_ _I'm a demon!" Natsu blurted out, before quickly shutting his mouth. He didn't know why he suddenly admitted it, other than trying to convince this old man why he couldn't join his guild. Maybe it was because talking to him felt like he was talking to Igneel, that even being here was making the hole in his heart feel less empty. He slid as far down in his seat as he could go, and added on, "A demon of Zeref." He chanced a look up, and the old man was watching him. Instead of fear or disgust, though, he instead found something that looked horribly close to acceptance, and Natsu felt that strange twinge again. Why didn't the old man_ get it _? "Zeref is my brother," he finally ground out, in an attempt to make him see reason. He closed his eyes, waiting for the fear, the anger, the disgust that seemed to follow him wherever he went._

 _"_ _So?" Natsu's eyes snapped open, shock reverberating through him at the steady calm he heard in the master's voice, the unending kindness in his eyes. "In Fairy Tail, it doesn't matter what someone is, where they came from, or even the strength of their magic." He paused, and a serious glint passed through his eyes. "What matters is the strength and compassion in their hearts, their ability to_ love _." Natsu stared, words taken from him. "You said you were looking for your father. That, to me, shows that you have a lot of love in your heart." Natsu stayed silent, and the master got up from his chair, walked around the desk and stood in front of Natsu. "I can't guarantee being able to find your father," he admitted, and Natsu looked down. "But here, we're a family, and we'll certainly try our hardest to help you find him."_

 _Hope was starting to rise, something he hadn't felt since he was with Igneel. He slowly, and cautiously, looked up. The master was still looking at him with the kind, wise eyes. "Will you join us?" After a moment, Natsu wordlessly nodded, and the old man smiled, holding out a hand. "Welcome to Fairy Tail, my boy."_

* * *

Natsu lit his fists on fire again, the tendrils of flame flickering up to his elbows, and he took another step forward.

* * *

 _It had been a year since he'd first joined the strange guild known as Fairy Tail, ever since he'd thrown his theoretical caution to the wind. To Natsu's surprise, the other humans – people, he mentally chided himself – in the guild had been much like the master, Makarov, when they were told about his being a demon. A few words, a couple of comments, and then nothing was ever said. The strange kid that Natsu had seen on his first day, the stripping one, seemed to have a thing about fighting him, but the red-haired girl usually put an end to that._

 _He'd become friends with an older teenager, Laxus, bonding over the fact that certain members of their families had bad reputations – his father had been kicked out of the guild for endangering his fellow guild mates, months before Natsu had joined. And Natsu could understand all about family members endangering others. Their other pivotal bonding experience was over the fact that they were both dragon slayers, although Laxus wasn't allowed to talk about it openly._

 _Natsu often wondered if Igneel would be proud of him. Whether or not Zeref would be happy that he'd found friends all on his own._

 _The tapping of a wooden staff behind him made him turn around. Makarov – or Gramps, as he'd recently taken to calling the old man – was leaning on his staff, looking at him with a pensive expression. After a moment, he walked forward, and stopped next to Natsu._

 _"_ _It's hard to believe it's been a year since you joined us," Gramps said idly, glancing at Natsu with an expression he couldn't read. "The time has really flown, wouldn't you say?" Natsu hummed absently in agreement. The companionable silence stretched on for another moment, before Gramps asked, "Being in the guild – do you enjoy it?"_

 _It was a simple question, yet it felt like it was incredibly weighted. Natsu let out a breath, then decided to say the first thing that came to mind. "Yeah," he answered, and was surprised by how much he_ meant _it. He couldn't help but smile._

* * *

His expression shifted into something blank, but the eyes were narrowed. "I will never stop fighting for my guild," he said, and without warning, he launched himself forward, fuelled by his simmering rage, the bonds he felt in his heart. With a roar, he yelled out, " ** _Fire Dragon's Retribution!_** " His fist smashed into the centre of Gajeel's torso, and a large explosion of red and orange flames erupted from the impact. For a second, beyond the flames, nothing seemed to happen, but then Gajeel was sent flying backwards. He landed against the wall, and slowly slid down to the ground.

Natsu slowly made his way over, and observed that the iron armour that Gajeel had created over his skin had been completely obliterated in the attack. From the looks of things, he wouldn't be getting up again any time soon. Humming, he turned back around, and stared at the damage he'd accidentally caused with the last attack. The ceiling had been entirely blown away, and in the middle of the room, where there had been a vast expanse of floor, there was now a giant hole. Natsu was amused to see that the hole extended to the room below them, that he could see two floors down without actually moving.

"Ah…" He looked up at the sound of a whimper, and saw that the lesser Phantom members were still mulling around, staring at him with wide-eyed expressions. Upon his look, one of them squeaked out, "We surrender!"

He stared at them for another moment, then sent a jet of flame flying towards them. They immediately scurried from the room, yelping incoherently as they faded from his range of hearing. With a sigh, Natsu turned to Lucy and Happy.

"Hey," he said quietly, kneeling down next to them and looking at Lucy. "You okay?"

Lucy's eyes were wide, as well, but unlike the lesser Phantom members, she didn't look scared. She didn't seem any more worse for wear than she had been when he'd found her, though, which was good. She nodded, giving a small smile. "Yeah," she replied, and despite himself, Natsu breathed out a sigh of relief.

"We should probably get out of here," he said, motioning to the room around them – or, more accurately, what was left of it. "The room's probably gonna collapse."

"And whose fault is that?" Lucy replied flatly as he helped her up. She gave him an unimpressed look, and gestured around them as well. "You went overboard!"

Natsu didn't reply to that, busy manoeuvring everyone into an area where he could safely get them away. His ears twitched as he vaguely heard the sounds of shifting bricks and supports nearby, a tell-tale sign that the room would definitely be collapsing any time now. In the corner of his eye, he spotted Gajeel, still out cold on the floor, and he swallowed. Before anyone could say anything, he ran over to him, and carefully draped his arm around his shoulder, walking back over to Lucy and Happy.

"Why're we taking him with us?" Happy asked, pointing a paw at the unconscious Gajeel.

"I'd feel bad if we didn't," Natsu tried to shrug, as best he could with a heavy dragon slayer's dead weight on his shoulders. "I know I beat him, but I don't want him to die." Before they could say anything else, Natsu quickly activated the transport spell, the familiar dark magic circle appearing beneath them for a second before flames wrapped around them. The room disappeared from view, and within seconds, they were looking at the room where Natsu, Gray, and Mira had come across Erza.

"Lucy! Natsu!" came a voice, and Natsu spun around, nearly dropping Gajeel. Mira and Gray were running towards them, looking worried and relieved to see them. Breathing out in relief at seeing them unharmed, Natsu put down Gajeel – not exactly gently, but not being deliberately violent, either – and walked over with Lucy and Happy to greet them.

"Hey," he greeted, waving a hand. "Is everyone okay?"

Mira nodded. "Yeah," she replied, hands clasped together. "No one's been this way, and Erza woke up a bit ago." She smiled slightly. "She wasn't very happy about the amount of explosions we heard."

"Erza's awake?" Natsu asked, focusing on that. When he'd left the room before, to go and find Lucy, Erza had been unconscious, and he knew that she had multiple injuries from the Jupiter cannon. He looked around again, and this time noticed Erza, sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, but looking quite alert. She gave him a nod, regarding him coolly. He let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."

Erza smiled slightly, looking down. "I never wanted you to see me in such a wretched state," she admitted, clenching her fists for a moment before relaxing them again. "I suppose I still have a long way to go."

No sooner than a few seconds after she said that, Natsu became aware of another presence in the room. It set the hairs on the back of his neck on end, sent goosebumps coursing down his skin and making it itch uncontrollably. From the looks on everyone else's faces, they sensed it as well – the overwhelming presence and stench of what could only be described as _death_. It was so palpable, it felt as though it could be sliced with one of Erza's swords, choking tendrils of cold and fear wrapping around them.

"What the…" Gray trailed off, his eyes wide as he stared straight ahead.

"What is this?" Lucy asked, rubbing her hands down the tops of her arms. She was shaking, slightly, though whether or not from the oppressive cold feeling, Natsu didn't know. Mira had one hand over her nose and mouth, as though it was choking her like smoke.

"Death is here," Natsu growled out, thoroughly on edge. His fists clenched, his entire body felt taut like a bow, but he didn't dare move.

"I don't like this," Happy said quietly, drifting over to Natsu's hair and slowly sitting on it. Natsu could feel the small, almost-invisible trembles Happy was letting out.

"Whatever this is, it's pure evil," Mira added, the words coming out muffled from behind her hand. Natsu had to agree with her on that. He wasn't sure how to explain it, but the closest thing he'd felt to this feeling was being around the other demons of Zeref. Hell, he couldn't even remember Zeref's presence being so overwhelmingly evil, and he was repeatedly mentioned to be the darkest wizard that ever lived. A moment of loaded silence filled the room –

Then the sound of clapping, loud in the oppressive silence, and all of them whirled around to face whoever had appeared in the room with them. As soon as his eyes landed on them, Natsu felt his heart jump up to his throat. Phantom Lord's master, José, was standing on the other side of the room, cloaked in a dark mist that seemed to cling to him. Natsu felt his heart sink, from his throat and right down through the floor and back to Hell to see Mard Geer. He might have fought demons like Deliora and won before, but Natsu could feel his magic power levels – he had enough to take on a strong wizard, yes, but José Porla was a Wizard Saint. A wizard, magically speaking, who was in the same league as Gramps.

Natsu glanced towards the still-unconscious Gajeel, unceremoniously dumped in a corner. The strong attacks, both the, for lack of a better term, fire geyser, and Retribution, had both taken a lot of power from him, both magic and otherwise.

"Bravo," José said amicably, still clapping. "I'm impressed, my Fairy Tail wizards. You're all quite keen." He smiled at them, no warmth in the expression. "I knew that this would be entertaining, but I didn't know it would be _this_ entertaining." Natsu, out of the corner of his eye, saw Lucy edging away from the crazy guild master, almost getting behind Natsu in the process. "You annihilated the Jupiter cannon," José continued, glancing at Natsu in what seemed like almost-interest, "disposed of my elite Element Four and dragon slayer, and you even managed to bring my Giant to its knees." He held his hands out at his sides, like a statue posing.

"Master José!" Erza exclaimed, and the others all took a collective step backwards.

"This creep is Phantom's master?!" Gray demanded, arms shaking and fists clenched.

"It's like there's a cloud of malice hanging over him," Mira said softly, hand still over her mouth. "I feel sick just being near him!"

"Thank you, you've been so _kind_ to entertain me," José said, spreading his hands out further, as though making a great speech. "I simply _must_ return the favour."

Then he smiled, wider still, and Natsu felt another chill run through his bones. For once, as he stared at the crazed smile, at the predatory gleam in the Phantom master's eyes, he didn't feel like the hunter in the room.

* * *

Author's note: So, that was Natsu vs Gajeel. I really hope that was okay. I know it took a while to actually post, and like I said, I'm really sorry about that!

So, pretty recently I've made a new tumblr, and I'm hoping to use it to post fics and such to in the future (obviously along with here). Right now, I'm posting this story on there, because I'm super proud of it, and it's honestly become my favourite thing to write, but hopefully I'll be able to post little one-shots and such. And maybe you even could throw me an ask about this au if you ever get bored or curious, or even throw out prompts to write? I don't know. Obviously, you don't _have_ to do any of that - this was more of a 'hey, by the way, I'm doing this now, so if you're interested...' thing \\_(ツ)_/ so if you're interested, the new tumblr is abbzeh.

Anyway, as I said before I started rambling and getting off track, hopefully, this was okay, so please let me know your thoughts! :)


	26. Chapter 26

Author's note: Okay, first off, I'm so sorry about the lack of updates lately. I've been horrendously busy since September (university and working at the zoo for three months) and haven't had a lot of time to work on this. Luckily, it's nearly Christmas break, and my work placement at the zoo has finished, so I should get more time to work on this soon.

To be honest, I'm not sure if I like how this turned out? I _hope_ it turned out okay, but *shrugs nervously*

* * *

"Stay back," Natsu warned, throwing his hand out and casting a glance over his shoulder at his friends. Lucy stared back, her heart thudding in her chest, the dark crushing presence around her almost suffocating. Without thinking, her hand went to her keys – miraculously, Phantom's members had been too idiotic to remove her keys from her.

"Let me help you," she said, trying to take a step forward. She'd already sat around watching Natsu fight Gajeel, watching him fight because of _her_ – she couldn't let him do that again. The thought of doing that left a bad taste in her mouth.

"No!" Lucy jumped, and whirled around. Erza had gotten to her feet, looking shaky and a bit unsteady, but the resolve on her face was iron-clad. She was staring at José with a dark expression, and she slowly made her way forward, hand gripping her sword tightly. She gave them a significant look, her eyes stern. "Do not attack him!"

Gray's face twisted into a scowl, and he started walking towards them. From the looks of things, he was intent on arguing with Natsu and Erza about that. Natsu turned to look at him, his own face irritated, and he made a small hand motion. Lucy saw, in the next few seconds, a magic circle appear below him, then a strange, orangey light filled the space quickly appeared on the floor below her, Gray, and Mira. It faded as quickly as it had appeared. Gray continued to walk forward, then abruptly stopped, as though he'd walked into an invisible wall. He stared, incredulous for a long moment, before exploding with a, "What the hell, ash brains?!"

"I'm not very good at rune magic," Natsu said, not looking at them. "Freed is far better than I am. But that'll keep you safe for now. Nothing can get in, and you can't leave." Ignoring Gray's outraged sputtering, Natsu turned to Erza, expression blank. "Ready?"

Erza nodded, mouth set in a thin line. Her stance shifted slightly, then charged forwards, sword raised to her eye level.

Lucy watched, her heart in her throat, as Erza ducked and weaved through the dark blasts of magic that were volleyed towards her from José, cutting away tendrils of magic that got too close to her. With a defiant battle cry, she yelled, " ** _Requip!_** " and the familiar light surrounded her for a brief second. When it vanished, she was running in a different armour, dark, lethal-looking, with wings attached to the back. Another yell, and she leapt up into the air, sword glittering in the light as she swung it down.

José dodged to the side, and Erza let out a sound that was almost a growl, and slashed at him again. With speed and agility that had been hidden by José's apparent age, he ducked again, and caught hold of Erza's arm as she went to swing again. Before either of them could move, though, there was a flash of orange and gold behind José, and Lucy caught a glimpse of wild pink hair.

" ** _Sparks!_** " Natsu yelled, and Lucy saw the top of his arm move, then José was suddenly blasted forwards. The quickly fading remnants of an explosion lingered where he'd been standing, and Erza had been blasted away in the opposite direction. She gently floated down, though, landing on top of a pile of rubble. She raised her sword again, her expression like steel.

José quickly regained his bearings and turned to look at the two of them, his face blank beyond the joyless smile. "Fascinating," he said musingly, glancing between the two of them. Lucy felt her gut clench at the tone, and not for the first time, she wished that Natsu hadn't shoved her inside the barriers of the runes he'd placed. She felt helpless and useless, just sitting there and watching two of her friends fight him head on. José looked at Erza. "You took a shot from Jupiter at full-force, did you not? Yet you're still standing." Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Natsu, whose arms were still burning. "And you brought down three of my elites, as well as Jupiter, yet you have enough magic left to face me."

"So long as my friends are in my heart, there is nothing I won't do to help them," Natsu growled out, fists clenching.

"For the ones that I love," Erza said slowly, raising the sword a bit higher, "I will withstand any amount of pain."

José smiled, slightly wider. Lucy cringed at the sheer amount of teeth the man seemed to possess, like some sort of predator. "Powerful, courageous, and _deadly_ ," he said, something akin to admiration in his tone. Something in his face shifted, although Lucy couldn't quite put her finger on _what_. "Destroying you both will bring me unbelievable _pleasure_."

Lucy cringed again, goosebumps running down her arms at the tone of voice. There was something about it that made her want to climb into the nearest, deepest hole and never resurface.

Natsu growled, long canines flashing, and the fire around his fists seemed to suddenly burn brighter, whipping away at invisible winds. Without warning, he brought one fist up, then slammed it down into the ground. Lucy immediately recognised it as an attack he'd used against Gajeel, and watched as seconds later, a great plume of flame burst up out of the ground, where José was standing. José quickly stepped to the side, out of the flame, and the flame reached higher – until it reached the ceiling. There was an explosion, the room shaking from the force of it, and the flame forced bits of the ceiling in every direction.

Lucy could only stare as, where there had been ceiling before, there was now the clear blue sky. José looked up at it as well, before turning back to Natsu.

"Well, what an unruly dragon you are," he said mildly. He waved a hand in a sweeping arch, and great explosions followed the pattern he'd made. Lucy, Gray, and Happy yelped as the explosions passed near them. The barrier Natsu had created held strong, but Lucy still felt a wave of intense heat pass over her. She was surprised that her clothes hadn't been burned off by the sheer intensity of it. The flames started disappearing rapidly, being pulled in a single direction.

The fire eventually dwindled down enough for Lucy to see Natsu, still standing where he'd started. He was inhaling the flames with the same amount of gusto that Lucy had seen when she'd first met him in Hargeon, both at the restaurant – she still mourned the loss of money from that particular meal – and from his fight with Bora.

"Thanks for the meal," he said plainly, running his hand across his mouth. "Yeh flames taste awful."

Faster than Lucy could keep up with, he then launched himself forward, boosted by the flames he'd just devoured. A faint orange streak tailed behind him, like he was a comet passing through the stars and heading for a collision. At the same time, as though they'd coordinated it, Erza leapt up into the air with another defiant yell, and brought her sword down in a heavy, slicing swing as she reached her target. To Lucy's surprise, though, José managed to duck and block each of their attacks, dodging the sword swipes and blocking the shattering fist blows with his forearms.

"To tell you the truth, this is the longest an opponent as ever lasted against me in battle," José said mildly, as though they were discussing the weather over tea in a dinner party. "We'd be more evenly matched if you weren't both low on magic power." Lucy stared, then nearly jolted as she realised, now that José had mentioned it, both Erza and Natsu _did_ look tired. It wasn't noticeable, unless it was being actively searched for, but Erza had slight shadows under her eyes, was shaking slightly. And Natsu, while still moving insanely fast, was moving more sluggishly than he had in his fight against Gajeel – something he was covering up by transporting himself around via his flames.

José gave a light hum. "You know what _really_ irks me about Fairy Tail?" he asked, voice still light as a feather and mild as spring. "The fact that there are so many powerful wizards like yourselves," he continued, and suddenly his voice got darker, and a strange glint entered his eyes, "who are aligned with _Makarov_." He raised a hand, and a small circle of purple magic appeared at his fingertips. He flicked them forward, and the magic immediately went speeding towards Erza.

Erza let out a pained yell as she went flying backwards, and she crashed into the wall with such force that it cracked around her.

" _Erza!_ " Natsu yelled, the fire around his arms flaring up. He took a few steps towards her, moving quickly, but was blasted off his feet as well, sent flying into the wall closest to where Lucy, Gray, and Mira were. When he looked up, his eyes were full of hatred, and Lucy nearly flinched.

"Since neither of you can be tempted to join Phantom, there is only one way to change that," José said flatly, and more purple magic circles appeared, this time on each one of his fingers. They continued to grow in size, until there was a single circle of magic. Then, like a laser, it shot towards where Erza had landed.

"Look out!" Gray shouted, rushing at the barrier and pressing his fists against it, as though his sheer force of will could shatter them. Before the laser could hit, though, Erza suddenly leaped into the air, leaving a trail of dust behind her. At the same time, a streak of orange and red blasted across the room, and Natsu appeared in the fire, fist reared back and snarl in place.

José turned to him, and sent a torrent of deadly-looking magic at him. " _Kill you!_ " José shouted, and Lucy blinked, momentarily confused for a moment by the broken sentence, until she realised that it was a continuation of the last thing he'd said. The magic blasted at Natsu, its intent obvious, and Natsu vanished in a plume of fire before it could hit, reappearing on José's other side.

Another blast was shot at Erza, and she quickly jumped to the side to avoid it, almost gliding in a serpentine motion. Natsu swung his fist forward, teeth bared in a growl, and José turned at the last second, grabbing hold of Natsu's forearm and halting the attack. Not even a second went by, then José hurled Natsu with a strength that seemed unnatural with his age, sending him flying once again, this time towards Erza. Natsu twisted himself in the air, avoiding the blasts of purple that were being sent his way, and he landed in a half-crouched position, fingers dragging through the stone.

"Do you know why I didn't kill Makarov before?" he asked, conversationally again. Erza looked up, breath coming out hard from exhaustion, and scowled. Lucy glanced down at her keys, cursing the fact that once again, she was useless. If only the stupid barrier wasn't there. He started walking forwards, his pace sedate, and his eyes seemed to glint red. "It was to put the old coot into deep _despair_." He smiled, although there was no kindness in it at all. Lucy could see what Mira had meant by there being a cloud of malice hanging over him. It seemed to seep out of every pore, and saturate the room. "Imagine how he'll feel when he comes back to find his guild hall in ruins." The smile turned sharper. "And his children _dead and gone_." Both Natsu and Gray let out growls, the latter pushing against the barrier once again. "He'd be lost, completely consumed by sorrow."

Erza straightened up, holding her sword so that it was pointing directly at José and all but snarling.

"When he's been reduced to that miserable state, I'll be free to swoop in and kill him," José continued. "But first, _I'll make him suffer_. I'll torture him until he has no choice but to wither and die."

" ** _Not if I kill you, first!_** " Natsu roared, suddenly launching from his crouched position at José. As he came to a stop where José was standing, Lucy realised that the psychotic guild master had vanished, like Natsu and his own vanishing act. She also noted that Natsu's eyes, while usually very dark in colour, looked almost like voids of anger, black and menacing. There was also a black marking on his arm that she hadn't remembered seeing before. Lucy filed it away for later, worrying her lip anxiously.

There was a breeze, a blur, and Lucy was then aware of Erza rushing at José, as well. Her sword was raised high in the air, and she jumped up off the ground with a battle-cry, bringing it down in a savage slash. She slashed at José, the motion a certain killing blow that had both Gray and Lucy both wincing. As with Natsu, though, Phantom's guild master suddenly disappeared and reappeared in an instant behind her, already resuming his monologue. "As long as I can remember, Phantom Lord as always been at the top." He closed his eyes and smiled smugly, still facing away from Erza. "We had the most powerful wizards with the most powerful magic. We also had more capital and more members than any other guild." He paused and eyed them all with a dark look, and Lucy's stomach twisted uncomfortably.

"However, as of late Fairy Tail has begun to catch up, and our positon as leader is in jeopardy." His face turned sour. "The names Erza, Laxus, and Mystogan became widely known, and the tales of Salamander spread across the land like _wildfire_."

"Apologies," Natsu said flatly, arms still alight. Given that small detail, Lucy got the impression that it wasn't very sincere. José ignored him.

"Now Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail are considered _equals_. The top two guilds representing Fiore. The thought _disgusts_ me." If possible, his face twisted into an even uglier expression. " ** _I refuse to be acquainted with such a feeble guild!_** "

Not even a second had passed, when there was a whooshing, and then the sounds of the roars of two loud warriors filling the partially destroyed room. Erza leapt off the ground, shooting towards José with a furious look on her face, baring her sword at a deadly angle.

" **Silence!** " she yelled furiously, dangerously.

Just as she leapt, Natsu moved from his position, slightly behind José, and sped towards him in a rage of bright flames. From what Lucy could see in the brief moment, he seemed to be propelled by the flames themselves, as though they had become like liquid – she also saw that the black marking on his arm seemed to spread just the slightest bit, before receding back to its original place. She blinked, confused. Once he was close, he leapt at José, just as Erza was doing, all the time whist letting out a wordless roar.

José seemed to eye up both unintended coordinated attacks and disappeared, only to reappear atop a pile of rubble, looking down on them. Lucy could feel Gray shaking in anger at the look on José's face, which could only be described as somewhere between smug, indifferent, and enraged, if such a thing. Then, if such a thing existed, then José had encompassed it perfectly.

"So, we're fighting for our lives, because you've decided to have a fit of jealousy?!" Erza demanded, gripping the swords so tightly, Lucy could see the whites of her knuckles even from a distance away. She seemed like she was barely holding herself back from doing something stupid, like leaping straight at José.

"Jealousy?" José asked mildly, smiling like she'd just asked about the weather and not about the attempted homicide of their comrades. "That's absurd. We simply wanted to prove to the kingdom that _we_ are the dominant guild."

Erza opened her mouth to respond, but whatever she was going to say was cut off by Natsu's cool retort. Lucy was surprised by what he came out with.

"Really?" he asked, cocking a head to the side, raising an eyebrow. The black markings remained around his arm. "Yeh could have had a contest or something. Like a tournament between our guilds," He paused and a faraway look appeared in his eyes for a brief moment, before a sharp look from Erza appeared to shake him out of his fantasy tournament. "Instead, yeh caused this to happen, and you dragged your own guild into it. Not only have you put our people at risk," he growled there, "but you threw _your own people_ in harm's way, as well." His voice lowered dangerously, and jerked his head sharply towards where Gajeel was still out cold, slumped against the wall but protected by Natsu's rudimentary rune barrier. "Like my brother says: people like you are the bane of humanity." He said the last sentence with a dark scoff worthy of the demon he was.

Upon hearing this, Erza let out another battle cry, and leapt forward, her face furious at the revelation. She all but flew towards José, her sword moving so fast that Lucy couldn't even track it with her eyes. José seemed to be able to sense it, though, because he dodged every single one of the attacks, weaving between the attacks, and disappearing and reappearing a ways away from Erza. After a moment, Natsu seemed to appear from the ground, flames billowing around him, and he sent giant jets of flames so hot that Lucy could feel the heat even through their barrier.

Again, José disappeared, reappearing a short distance away, completely unharmed, if looking slightly ruffled. In retaliation, he whipped out a purple magic circle, and from that magic circle came a stream of purple magic shot outwards, immediately extending out into three tendrils of cackling dark magic. They shot towards Erza, and Lucy heard Mira let out a choking noise, as though she seemed to recognise the spell. The purple tendrils wrapped around Erza, tightening themselves, and suddenly forks of red lightening were shocking from the tendrils, and Erza had started screaming, suspended in mid-air by the tendrils. Lucy stared, both morbidly transfixed and deeply terrified for her friend.

"Erza!" she heard Natsu yell from the side, and she felt a bit of hope rise, despite herself. If there was anyone who could get Erza out, it was Natsu, He could do it. There was an inhuman sounding growl. " ** _I'll kill y_** – "

His sentence was cut off abruptly, and Lucy spun her head around, despite her volition, and her stomach dropped. Just like she'd seen with Erza, there were more purple tendrils, José holding a hand towards it as the red lightning branched off of it. Natsu seemed to be just barely holding back screams, although judging by the pained expression, he wouldn't be able to last for much longer. José seemed to know that, as well

"While I've never been particularly _fond_ of your guild," he said casually, holding up a hand to both Erza and Natsu, Erza's screams echoing across the broken room like some sort of twisted symphony. Lucy wanted to cover her ears and hide her face away. "My distaste for you was not what triggered this war."

"Could've fooled me," Natsu gasped out. Lucy silently cursed his motor mouth, and looked away just in time as José raised an eyebrow, then seemed to turn up the intensity of the shocks coursing through the purple tendrils holding Natsu. Natsu finally let out a pained noise, and Lucy bit her lip,

"We were hired by the patriarch of the Heartfilia family to find his missing daughter." At this, he glanced towards where Lucy was sitting behind the barrier with Lucy, Gray, Mira, and Happy, an emotion she couldn't place in his face. It made her unaccountably nervous. "The child of one of the kingdom's wealthiest men is now in Fairy Tail."

Lucy shifted slightly, looking down. To be talked about, like she was nothing but a possession. It made her feel dirty, like she _was_ nothing. It was one of the many reasons why she left that life behind. One of the reasons that she loved being in Fairy Tail so much – the freedom it afforded her, to do as she liked, to be friends with whomever she liked; it felt like nothing she had ever experienced before that fateful day in Hargeon. Mira seemed to sense her troubles, because she sent a dark glare to José.

"So Makarov's trying to buy his way to the top, isn't he?" José demanded, turning his gaze away from Lucy and back to Erza, turning up the intensity of the shocks coursing through the tendrils holding her.

" ** _THAT IS A LOAD OF FUCKING FILTH!_** " Natsu suddenly roared, his face contorted with pure rage as he struggled against the purple magic, apparently paying no mind to the lightening as he thrashed against their hold. Lucy unconsciously dug her nails into her arm as Natsu seemed to set on fire, the black mark on his arm spreading that little bit more. " ** _GRAMPS WOULD NEVER GO TO YOUR LEVEL!_** "

José graced him with a brief, if indifferent look. "You _are_ an angry guard dragon, aren't you? So quick to defend your master." His look darkened. "If only you had been in Phantom. Instead, I got only cocky arrogance, not angry loyalty." He paused, glancing over to where Gajeel was. Lucy saw, out of the corner of her eye, that Gajeel was slowly starting to come around. He still seemed pretty out of it, though, which came as no surprise after the thorough beating he'd received. "Still, not much to be done now." He held out a hand, and Lucy could almost predict what was going to happen. Almost as soon as she'd closed her eyes, frame trembling and nerves frayed, Natsu had finally started screaming.

"Now then." José seemed to resume his earlier monologue, turning back to Erza, leaving Natsu half slumped, half glaring. "Now that your guild has unfettered access to the Heartfilia family fortune, it's only a matter of time before that happens." José paused, face twisting. "That is, _if we don't completely wipe you out first!_ " The purple magic circle got bigger, and the pain on Erza's side seemed to increase, as her screams got louder.

Then, she smiled and laughed. José's own smile slipped right off his smug face. "It's laughable how concerned you are about something as silly as your guild's _ranking_. Do you think we care about any of that?"

"Me and Laxus do, a bit!" Natsu protested, sounding pained. Erza ignored him.

"You've wiped out your _own_ guild just to try and beat us in the rankings." Erza's face darkened at that. "But, even more than this, I'm even more amused about incredibly uninformed you are about Lucy!"

José's face twisted again. "What?!"

"She came to us as a runaway. She doesn't have access to her family's fortune!" José seemed to falter for a moment, hand retreating back slightly from the magic circle. "She rents a place for seventy thousand jewel a month. She works hard to make a living. She fights alongside us, she laughs with us, and she cries with us! She's no different than any other member of our guild!" Erza's face became almost hellishly scary. " _And she's why we're at war!_ "

Lucy looked down at the reminder.

"Don't worry, Luigi." Lucy's head jerked up at the butchering of her name, prepared to shout at whoever it was, regardless of the situation they were currently in. Natsu wasn't looking at her, was still glaring at José with all of his might, but then said, "I said I'd burn any Phantom creep to ash if they touched yeh, didn't I?" He then looked her way and gave her a grin, brilliant in the grim situation and unlike the savage smirks and growls he'd been letting out for the last however long it had been. "And Igneel told me to keep my promises."

Well, there was both a promise and a threat if Lucy had ever heard one.

"She may be the daughter of the Heartfilia family," Erza continued to José, glaring down at him, "but just as flowers don't get to choose where they bloom, children don't get to choose their parents!" Erza struggled more against the magic that held her, and for a moment it looked as though she might break out of it. "You don't know anything about Lucy, or the tears that she has shed!"

"Well, I'll find out soon enough." It was as though someone had taken a spell and taken all of the air out of the room, leaving only dead silence behind. "I'm not going to hand her over to her father without reaping a _benefit_ of some sort!"

"Like hell you are!" Gray snapped, finally snapping out of whatever silence he'd been holding, pounding his fists against the barrier, stubbornly trying to force his way through. The barrier held back, just as stubbornly in return. Mira grabbed hold of his arm, giving him a sharp pinch with her sharp nails and a piercing look that contained both a scolding and her fear.

"Quiet, Gray!" she hissed, voice and frame trembling. Lucy shuddered at seeing her reduced to that state.

"I'll make her my prisoner until my father meets my demands!" José continued, having apparently paid no attention to anything that was happening over in what Lucy had dubbed in her mind 'the barrier corner'. "I'm going to bleed the Heartfilia family of their fortune and their precious money making businesses!"

Erza screamed again. " ** _YOU…!_** " She struggled valiantly against the purple tendrils again, face contorted in effort as she fought to free herself. Across from her, she could see Natsu raging as he fought to remove the entangling purple things, almost spitting fireballs in his fury. José smiled, almost looking more demonic than Natsu did.

"I wouldn't keep struggling, if I were you," he said conversationally as he summoned two more magic circles, dark grey in colour and more purple spectres trailing the tendrils behind them appearing behind José himself. Lucy felt her stomach churn. José sounded as though they were merely discussing the weather over mild drinks, not like he was brutally torturing fellow humans after wiping out his own guild. She turned her own face away for a moment, if only for a brief second to collect herself. She had to be strong for her friends. They were fighting for _her_. "It's only going to make this more painful!"

He had one magic circle each facing Erza and Natsu, and each circle got bigger again, and the purple spectres with their purple tendrils burst through. Instead of wrapping around the victims like last time though, they came to a standstill in midair, and suddenly, Erza started letting out a guttural, tortured scream. If Lucy squinted, she could almost see something like her essence being sucked out by those spectres – it made her want to be sick. Her stomach heaved again, and she was violently reminded of the numerous rising bruises on her torso.

"Erza!" Natsu yelled, sounding strained. Lucy looked over, expecting the worst. Sure enough, his teeth were gritted and she could see the veins running along his arms, his nails digging so hard into his palms that droplets of blood had appeared on his fingertips alongside the rest of his numerous scratches. At least the black marking had stopped spreading, Lucy noted with some weird relief. Relief that she couldn't quite explain. Natsu turned his head, with what looked like effort, and gave a gargantuan growl and glare to José. "Fight me yourself, you creepy bastard! This is nothing!"

"Certainly resilient, aren't you? Perhaps you require something a little bit… stronger, perhaps?" José said mildly, tone even as ever. The magic circle increased in size, and Natsu suddenly let out a vicious scream as he tilted his head back in apparent agony. José eyed both victims, eyes filled with malicious glee. "You're not feeling very well, are you dears?" He smiled, like one of the clowns of the travelling carnival that Lucy had once seen when she was a young child. "Well, you're both going to have to buck up, because it's almost time! I want you to make an appearance before your peers!"

The screams had stopped, but José had been right. Neither of them looked well. Lucy wasn't sure what the spectres had done to them, but regardless of how they felt, Natsu growled at him, and Erza spat down at his feet. José continued on, ignoring the rebelliousness.

"Once they see their beloved knight and dragon in such pitiful states, they're sure to surrender to us!" He cackled, the sound high and manic.

"What _us_?" Natsu snorted, cocking an eyebrow, still summoning energy to continuously struggle against the tendrils that held him. "Most of your guild was wiped out!" His glare darkened. "Like you said, I defeated three of your Element Four and Gajeel Redfox."

"But as long as _I'm_ around, Phantom Lord still stands!" José retorted, appearing to send more shocks of pain through the tendrils. Natsu gasped in pain again, and glared darkly in response. "And so long as Phantom is around, we will _destroy Fairy Tail_."

"You're a despicable man!" Erza shouted, the hatred in her voice palpable as it obscured any pain she might have felt. She was trembling, her eyes shadowed and strained, her hair askewed. Lucy thought that in that moment, she'd never seen Erza Scarlet look more like the valiant knight of legend that she'd heard so much about.

"He doesn't even deserve to be called a man!" Gray snarled, banging his fist on the barrier again. Lucy could see him shaking, but it seemed to be a combination of both rage and from helplessness. She could relate to the feeling, except she had crushing fear added to the mix, as well. Slightly to the side, Gajeel seemed more alert and was just watching the fight, olive eyes blank. His entire face was unreadable, and despite everything, Lucy couldn't help but feel a niggle of pity for him. After all, his guild master had essentially sent his guild into a war, only to have them be wiped out, and he didn't even care.

"Now, now," José chided mildly, the magic circles rotating gently, as though they weren't some sort of horrific torture spell, "insulting me isn't going to improve your situation." He cackled, the sound deeper than the last laugh he'd given, and it sounded like a true villain laugh. Lucy stared, then flinched as Erza screamed louder, as Natsu yelled in agony.

Just as it felt like the screaming would go on forever, like it would be forever etched in the deepest recesses of Lucy's memories, the tormented screams suddenly stopped. She opened her eyes, not knowing when she had closed them – she felt a trail of wetness on her cheek, and realised that she'd been crying, crying for her friends, who had suffered for her and their guild. Her heart lurched painfully – and gasped softly.

The room they were in, if it could even be called that anymore due to the giant hole in the ceiling and removed walls, had been filled with a warming golden glow. Gray looked as though all of his anger had suddenly been pulled out of his system, replaced with look of shock and bewilderment. Mira was staring at the light in awe and happiness, like she knew what it meant. Gajeel, for the most part, looked transfixed. Happy just stared, paws over his mouth.

The light seemed to wrap itself around Erza and Natsu, gently freeing them from the clutches of the evil purple magic and pushing away the tendrils, forcing them to dissipate into thin air. Erza's armour, which had ended up in broken shards due to the explosive nature of the fight with José, slowly reformed itself back into full armour, restored as though it had never been damaged. The tears and burns on Natsu's shirt – inwardly, Lucy wondered how he got away with calling it a shirt, given that it showed off all of his chest, then cursed herself for thinking about that – were suddenly fixed, as though they had never been there. The scarf that she had always seen Natsu wearing had somehow mysteriously escaped harm, though.

The two were gently lowered to the ground, and the two slumped forward, looking dazed but awed, happy in a way. Like they recognised what the light meant, in the same way that Mira had. José looked at the flooding golden light, frowning, then looked up towards the shattered windows, towards the source of the light. Lucy followed his gaze, and gasped, hands going to her mouth.

Master Makarov was there, floating in the midst of the light like an avenging angel come to save his family. The light around him looked like a mighty halo, bathing him in an almost godly golden glow. The master remained in a seated position as he floated above them all, arms crossed as he regarded his opponent and his guild. After a few seconds, he slowly floated to the ground, and José began to smile, a smile more savage than anything she had seen in his fight against Erza and Natsu. Erza turned to look at the master over her shoulder, the shock seeming to sink in.

The master landed softly upon a pile of rubble, looking for all the world like the greatest hero in any legend or story. His face remained shrouded in shadow.

" **You have shed the blood of our children** ," he said, voice dark and grave and unlike anything Lucy had ever heard him say before. He sounded both sad and… so furious that he was tranquil with it. She swallowed thickly, heart pounding as she realised that there was a high chance that these two Wizard Saints were probably about to fight. " **And that is** ** _unforgivable_** ," His eyes cast over them, still shadowed. " **And they have been made to suffer because of the incompetence of their parents.** "

"Heh," Natsu grinned up at him, coughing slightly from whatever spell José had inflicted upon him and Erza. "Glad to see you're okay, Gramps."

The master looked to him and Erza, and his expression softened. "Rest easy, now," he said, his voice soft, almost fatherly. Natsu smiled, and Erza's expression was one of profound relief. "I'll take it from here." He turned his face back towards José, and it darkened again. "This war between us has gone on long enough." The shadows around his face lifted, revealing his eyes. "Let's end this, _here and now!_ "

Erza smiled, wiping away a tear from her eye. "Master…"

Natsu had crept over to her, and Lucy watched as he grabbed hold of her arm. She could just about hear him say to her, "Come on, if they're about to duke it out, then we gotta get out of the blast zone."

He then dragged her along behind him to the barrier corner, a small magic circle appearing in front them for a brief moment. The two of them then passed through the barrier as though it was nothing, rippling around them like a silken curtain. The moment they were through, another magic circle appeared behind him, disappearing as soon as it appeared, and he slumped down into a heap, inadvertently dragging Erza down with him. She glared at him in response before moving over to the barrier's edge, watching the oncoming storm intently.

In response to the master's statement, José seemed to enter a different sort of battle stance. He lifted a hand towards his face, where his eyes had closed, and when they opened again, his eyes had completely darkened in colour, including the whites, leaving only a yellow pinprick at the centre. Suddenly, the amount of magic power she could feel emanating from Phantom's master had tripled, quadrupled from what she had felt before, so much so that it felt like it was suffocating her. By comparison, the sheer amount of magic she could feel from the master – equal at least to José – felt comforting, like a shield to Fairy Tail.

"If we fight, it could create a catastrophe," José said warningly, although judging by the look on his face, he didn't much care about the potential catastrophe.

The master's frown deepened, the lines and veins in his forehead protruding with his quiet rage. At the tips of his fingertips, bright bubbles of white light burst into light, hanging onto his fingers like brilliant but deadly decorations. He raised a hand, holding it near his face as José had done, and held it slightly behind him in a battle stance. The magic aura around him seemed to be making the air shimmer, as though there was a slight breeze in the room accompanying him.

"In order to save my guild," he said dangerously, the light still bright at his fingertips, a stark reminder of what they were about to witness, "I will **_gladly_** _take that risk!_ "

Lucy swallowed nervously, leaning back against the wall as far as she could go as the magic presence in the room seemed to swell that much more, a sense of impending doom filling each of them sitting there, helpless witnesses to the battle about to take place. Erza, where she had looked so relieved before upon seeing the master return, safe and recovered, looked nervous as she stared through the barrier, almost resting her forehead against it. Mirajane was worrying her lip, fingers resting against her cheek as she gazed at the two opponents in worry. And Natsu –

Natsu was staring at the master, eyes slightly hidden by his hair, as though he would disappear again if any of them looked away. He looked oddly vulnerable like that, staring up at the master like a child would a parent, and for a brief second Lucy wondered what Natsu had been like when he was younger. Natsu turned his head slightly and caught her eye, gave her a tired but cheerful smile. Even though no words passed between them, Lucy couldn't help but smile back, even as the knot of anxiety in her chest continued to twist.

Natsu turned back to staring at the master, and Lucy reluctantly followed his gaze. The anxiety panged again. Staring up at the oncoming fight again and feeling the growing magic energy, she couldn't help but hope that Natsu's barrier would survive the next round.

* * *

Author's note: so, yeah, hopefully this was okay - please let me know what you think?


	27. Chapter 27

Author's note: Merry Christmas! Hope you've all had a really good day!

Okay, so I mentioned at some point last year that I'd do the Changeling episode. It's taken me forever to finish this, but it's finally done! The Changeling! Because it's later than I intended it to be, I couldn't figure out where it would go, so I've just decided to post it today and put it as 26.5 because the Christmas chapters were always 'x.5', and because they didn't affect anything afterwards. So. Yeah. I really hope this is okay *nervously crosses fingers*

Switched name guide:

Lucy-Loke - Lucy

Loke-Lucy - Loke

Gray-Erza - Gray

Erza-Gray - Erza

Happy-Laxus - Happy

Laxus-Happy - Laxus

* * *

Natsu glanced down at the guild, his back comfortably and slightly arched against the rafters. The sudden onset of rain in Magnolia had brought about a slow day for the guild, and as such, everyone was lazing around in the hall, nursing drinks of varying questionable nature and talking in low voices. With the combination of the tinge of ale on the air and the buzz of hushed voices melding together, Natsu found himself, more than once, nearly falling asleep on his makeshift perch.

"Man, I wish something would happen," Macao complained, slumping back in his seat. Natsu mentally agreed with him. The atmosphere in the guild hall was almost stifling, and he was burning for _something_ interesting to happen. A brawl, a misspoken spell, _anything_. He'd even jump down there and start the brawl himself if nothing happened soon. If only Gildarts or Mystogan were in the area. He'd totally take them on in a fight any time today.

"I don't know about you, but I've got a lotta things happenin' here," Cana slurred drunkenly, slamming her tankard down on the table with a resounding _thud_. Natsu heard the contents of the tankard slosh out of it, and a few people complained at her for it. Laki and Wakaba were amongst the most vocal of the complainers.

"What does that even mean?" Vijeeter asked, and Cana threw an arm around his shoulders, grinning lopsidedly. She was swaying, like her seat was slightly rocking from side to side.

"Well now, it's like this…" And she trailed off into senseless rambling about who knew what. Natsu was sure Vijeeter regretted asking about what Cana meant, and he couldn't help but snicker a bit at that. Beyond that, nothing remotely exciting happened, and the guild hall settled back down into a low buzzing hum, familiar enough to Natsu that it started to lull him into the throes of sleep.

"Ew. This is one creepy looking job request." Natsu's ears perked up at the sound of Lucy's voice, and he turned his head slightly to look towards the request board. From what he could see, Lucy was standing in front of it, hands on her hips and eyeing up the requests littered across its worn surface. He couldn't tell what request she was looking at, though. "I can't even read it."

Natsu grinned to himself. "I've found myself something to do," he muttered, mentally praising Lucy for taking away his boredom and constant near-sleepiness. Smoothing his face out into something more neutral, he teleported from the rafters to next to Lucy, cackling at the yelp of surprise Lucy let out as a giant flame materialised next to her for a brief second before vanishing again. "What's that?" he asked, as though he hadn't just stepped out of a giant flame and scared the living daylights out of his team mate.

Lucy glared at him, clutching the job request to her chest. " _Where did you come from?!_ " she demanded, either not hearing his question or ignoring him. Natsu figured she was probably ignoring him. It seemed to happen a lot, for some reason. Giving her a casual smirk, he leaned forward and plucked the request from her hands, ignoring her indignant spluttering and turned the paper over to examine it.

"Five hundred thousand jewel just to translate a text?" he asked. Lucy nodded, any annoyance immediately leaving her face and her eyes lighting up. Probably at the thought of money, Natsu thought. Go figure.

"We should take it!" she said enthusiastically, looking close to jumping in joy at having found such an easy request. "We could even recruit Levy!" Natsu was sure he could see actual, honest to gods _sparkles_ radiating off of her. He stared at her for a second, giving her a bemused smile.

"What're you all talking about?" came another voice from behind them, and Natsu sniffed the air. So Gray had arrived on the scene as well. How fitting. He'd give it thirty seconds before Erza showed up, as well. "Something about five hundred thousand jewel?" he asked, and Natsu turned, just as Gray pointed at the request sheet in his hand, obviously wanting to see it. With a long-suffering sigh, Natsu lifted it up and showed it to him, and Gray stared at it for a second.

"So it's a translation job?" he summed up, crossing his arms. Just as Natsu predicted, Erza arrived on the scene, armour clanking noisily away as she walked. "That's a weird request for a guild."

"You should see some of the requests on the second floor," Natsu snorted, thinking of some of the ridiculous requests he'd fulfilled during his time as an S-Class wizard. Honestly, they made this one look normal. His mind cast back to a couple of years ago, to when he'd taken a job just outside of Crocus. The client had been some kind of alchemist and had wanted a rare plant and had been paying highly for it, Natsu had been willing to retrieve it. The client had also _neglected_ to mention that the plant in question acted as a psychoactive. Natsu still had no idea what had happened, but he and Happy later discovered that they'd bought several bouquets of flowers and sent them all to Laxus.

Happy thought it was hilarious. Laxus, unfortunately, hadn't seen the funny side.

Given that experience, being S-Class had taught him a few things about self-preservation over the years, Natsu looked at the request again and at what they wanted translating. His eyes widened at it, and he immediately handed it to Gray, saying, "I'm out. Not gonna read it."

Lucy stared at him. "Wha–"

Natsu waved cheerfully at them. "Bye!" And proceeded to disappear in another giant flame, as quickly as he'd appeared, because there was no way he was going to swap powers with someone. Yes, he'd wanted a more interesting day, but not that. And if he was sitting in the rafters, away from his crazy friends who were going after a crazy job request, there was _no way_ they could possibly translate the spell.

That thought in mind, he relaxed slightly.

* * *

Lucy stared at where Natsu had been standing, a small burn spot being all that remained of him. A small part of her brain absently noted that there were a hell of a lot of burn marks on the floor of the guild hall, before it caught up with her, and she indignantly shouted, "NATSU!" She turned around, looking around the tables for him, but caught no glimpses of him amongst their comrades. She grit her teeth and let out an annoyed breath, before turning back to the others.

"Forget him," Gray advised, walking over to the nearest table and laying the request out flat on it, so they could all see it. Erza crossed her arms as she peered over Lucy's shoulder at it, frowning in thought.

From what Lucy could see, the letters on the request were part of some sort of ancient language. She squinted at them, leaning in closer to try and see if she recognised any of them. She'd studied a lot of ancient language books during her childhood out of interest, however this one seemed different to any that she'd ever seen. Lucy sighed, straightening up. "I don't know who'd be able to read it," she admitted glumly. "It's an ancient language, but it doesn't seem like any I've ever seen."

Unexpectedly, Gray whirled around and yelled _upwards_ , "HEY, ASHBRAINS! CAN YOU TRANSLATE THIS?!"

Lucy looked up towards where Gray was shouting, and she jumped in shock when she saw Natsu sitting in the rafters, back to one of the beams. Apparently, judging by everyone else being cool about it, Natsu being up there was a regular occurrence. He looked down in annoyance, leg swinging back and forth idly. "What makes you think I can do that?" Natsu asked, slightly sarcastically and only slightly raising his voice. "I'm a demon, not a damn translator."

Gray waved a hand dismissively, throwing some ice arrows towards Natsu in the process. Lucy was sure that he'd done that on purpose, judging by the look on his face. Natsu just gave him a blank look as they all melted around him. "You went on that translating job with Levy that one time, remember?" Gray pointed out, and Natsu pulled a face. Lucy couldn't remember any jobs that Natsu had been on with Levy, so she figured that it must have been one before she joined the guild.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Natsu replied, crossing his arms. Lucy mentally snorted; Natsu honestly resembled a petulant bird at that moment in time. "Maybe Levy just wanted some company!"

"From _you?_ " It was Gray's turn to snort derisively. "Because you're a great conversationalist."

"I'm a great conversationalist!" Natsu immediately retorted, eyes narrowing and fists lighting on fire as he jumped up, balancing precariously on the beam he'd been sitting on. Lucy rolled her eyes as she recognised the familiar glint in his eyes – if provoked, Natsu was about a hair away from jumping into a fight. Which meant that if he felt like it, he could blow a hole in the guild hall's wall. Lucy blanched. "Come up here and say it to my face, you punk!"

" _ **JUST TRANSLATE IT!**_ " Erza suddenly yelled, breaking her silence and glaring daggers at the two of them. Lucy jumped again at the sudden volume.

"Ew, Lucy. Why're you shiny all of a sudden?" came an ominous voice from over her shoulder, sending shivers down her spine, and Lucy felt her eyebrow twitch.

"Maybe if I ignore him, he'll go away," Lucy said to herself, repeating the phrase to herself like it was a holy mantra. There was the sound of flapping wings, a slight breeze on her exposed shoulder, and a second later Happy's face appeared in front of her own. As always, he was smiling away, like he wasn't bothering Lucy.

"Hey, Lushy," he greeted, waving and smiling serenely. That meant that whatever was about to come out of that demon cat's mouth was bad news for Lucy, and she flicked her eyes around for the nearest blunt object. Finding none, she forced her expression into something that was hopefully calm.

Yeah. She could _totally_ do calm.

Happy cocked his head to the side as he eyed her face, expression curious, and said, innocently enough, "Why do you look like you've eaten rotten fish?"

Lucy's eyebrow twitched again, and she waited all of two seconds before shouting, "SHUT IT, CAT!"

"Good luck with that," Laxus's voice came from the side, tone grim, and Lucy nearly jumped out of her skin again. What was this, _Scare Lucy Day X784_ and no one bothered to tell her? "It's been six years and he's never shut up." His voice, if possible, turned grimmer, and he walked into view. For the first time in all her time at Fairy Tail, Laxus wasn't wearing his overcoat. Instead, he seemed to have traded it for spiked headphones – one was currently off one ear. Lucy absently wondered if he was even listening to anything and was just wearing them to try and up his cool factor with _Sorcerer's Weekly_.

It was then that Lucy became aware of Gray shouting up at Natsu again. "Just translate it for us, flame brains!" He seemed to be at his wit's end. "You don't even have to do the request with us!"

Natsu stared at them for a minute, expression blank, before throwing his still-flaming hands up. Lucy winced as she imagined the guild hall going up in flames from Natsu being overly irritated. "You know what? Fine." His signature giant flame appeared around him, and a second later he appeared beside them, looking irritated with them. He stomped over to the table, snatched up the piece of paper – and ended up crumpling it in the process, which made Lucy wince again – and eyed it for a moment. Then, when he started talking again, he was talking in a strange language Lucy had never heard before, and one that she never even realised that Natsu knew. She had no idea where Natsu could even know the language _from_.

Without warning, as soon as he finished talking, he quickly vanished again, leaving the smell of burning behind. Lucy quickly looked around for him, a question on her lips, but couldn't see him anywhere, not even in the rafters. Beyond that, she didn't even have time to formulate a sentence before the paper – which had been hastily dropped back to the table – started glowing purple, green, blue and all the other colours of the rainbow. Lucy stared, transfixed as a feeling like curdled milk started unwrapping itself in the pit of her stomach.

"Ooh, pretty," Happy commented, smiling at the colour display.

She suddenly had a bad feeling about all of this.

* * *

The moment Natsu had finished reading that damned-to-hell spell out loud for his officially-idiotic friends, he'd quickly transported outside of the guild hall, just to be on the safe side. Of the wall. And the door. And several other people. Breathing a sigh of relief at having managed to get out of there in the nick of time, he leaned against the wall, hands behind his head, and he listened for the tell-tale sounds of the spell having been activated. They couldn't say he didn't warn them, after all.

There was a pause where he could only hear the general sounds of the guild hall – the sounds of people talking and drinking amicably, everything he'd been hearing up until Lucy had come across that request –

Then –

" _WHAT THE HELL?!_ "

Natsu winced at the volume and overall harshness of the sudden shout that sounded from inside the guild hall, but he couldn't help but smile in amusement. Bracing himself, he transported himself back inside, mentally preparing himself for the worst. As soon as his fire cleared, he saw five very confused looking people and one very angry blue cat, and Natsu had to bite back a laugh. It seemed whoever had switched bodies with Happy had already figured it out, and was far from _happy_ about it – Natsu mentally applauded himself for that pun, although he was sure the others wouldn't be as impressed with him for it at the moment.

Natsu absently noticed that Loke had also appeared near them, and he frowned. When had that happened? Had Loke been near them, despite his fear of celestial wizards, when the spell had activated?

"Something doesn't feel right," Loke said, hands on his hips and thoughtful expression in place. Natsu frowned again. That stance didn't look like Loke's typical stance at all. If anything, it reminded him of –

" _ **WHY DO I HAVE BOOBS?!**_ " Lucy suddenly shrieked, alerting all of their fellow guild members around them to the situation at hand. Macao and Wakaba, Natsu noted with a hint of irritability, looked particularly interested at that comment. "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!" Lucy, who Natsu was becoming increasing sure was actually Loke – he dubbed them Loke-Lucy, and vice versa for the confused real Lucy – stared down at her (his? Gods, this was a clusterfuck, to use one of Cana's favourite words, if there ever was one. Natsu felt a headache coming on, and he was very tempted to have a drink) chest, and Loke-Lucy's expression paled. "No no no. _Why am I a celestial wizard now?_ " Loke-Lucy sunk to the ground in dejection, an aura of intense sadness radiating off him. "Karma sucks."

Lucy-Loke, seemingly having realised what had happened, glared at her own body. "Hey! Don't talk about my body like that!" she snapped down at Loke-Lucy, looking like she wanted to slap him.

" _I HAVE NOTHING!_ "

Natsu jumped again at the sound of Happy – or rather, whoever had switched with Happy – shouting, and he tried to work out who it could be. Looking at the others, he saw Gray's body shivering, and Erza's looking somewhat lost, dazed and confused. Natsu started to smile. "Laxus?" he guessed, and Laxus-Happy jumped at him, forcing him to transport a few feet away to avoid the claws.

"Who'd you think, _**dumbass?!**_ " Laxus-Happy looked somewhere between fuming and depressed. He abruptly sat down on the table, where he'd leapt onto to try and get at Natsu, and looked at the ceiling. " _I don't even have my lightning_."

"WHOA, LIGHTNING!" Laxus's _actual_ voice suddenly shouted, and Natsu teleported himself out of the way _again_ just as a giant lightning bolt came crashing through the ceiling of the guild hall. Happy-Laxus stared at the spot where the bolt had hit, tendrils of smoke still rising from the ground, and laughed awkwardly. "Oops," he said, and Natsu blinked. Well, he was officially weirded out by this situation. He never thought he'd hear Laxus laugh awkwardly, and yet here they were. He turned to Gray and Erza, hoping that they'd at _least_ be a bit more sane about it.

"So cold," Erza-Gray muttered, arms around herself and shaking uncontrollably. Natsu couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He knew that if someone had switched bodies with him, they'd be feeling a similar thing – except, y'know, with being too hot, and possibly even burning to death – since fire and ice wizards had their inner temperature acclimatised to their magic. He had to give her credit, though. She was still as straight-faced as always, even in Gray's terrible body.

Gray-Erza was leaning against a table, one hand on his back and a pained look on his face. "My back's killing me… And my chest feels really heavy…" The familiar light of Erza's requip magic suddenly surrounded Gray-Erza, and within a moment, he was wearing Erza's more 'casual' day-to-day outfit. Which was essentially her normal outfit, sans the armour.

Erza-Gray suddenly looked down at herself, then across at her own body. Natsu didn't know how she did it, but she managed to make Gray's eyes darken. "Gray…" she said warningly, and Gray-Erza snapped his head across to look at her, red hair flying around him.

"Huh?" His face was blank as he slowly took in what he was seeing, then his face took on a look of horror. " _ **EHHH?!**_ " He looked down at his current body, and proceeded to poke the chest of Erza's body, ignoring the warning growl emanating from the real Erza. Natsu paused, glancing over at an empty space of the guild hall. Man, this was really going to hurt his head quickly.

"Are you feeling alright, Erza?" Laki asked hesitantly, like she was scared to take a step forward and catch the crazy. Natsu didn't blame her. He felt like he was going crazy just by being near them.

" _JUST GREAT!_ " Erza-Gray yelled, and Laki jumped, scuttling back behind Macao and Wakaba. Ice had started falling out of Erza-Gray's mouth, and Natsu's own jaw dropped to the ground. The rest of his body promptly joined it, and he stayed there. He'd known that the spell would bring about potential hilarity, yes, but he hadn't counted on his team mates cancelling out the hilarity with their weirdness.

"You okay, Natsu?" Mirajane asked, crouching down next to him with a concerned smile. "… you are Natsu, right?" she asked after a moment, seemingly having figured out what had happened to the others as well. Natsu nodded dumbly, not saying anything beyond that. This was far too much.

"Yeah," he assured her, the words sounding far away from him, like he was partially submersed underwater. It was ridiculous. He was E.N.D, Zeref's strongest demon. He was feared and revered, much to his displeasure at the latter, by the rest of his kin. He regularly went hunting for those demons to destroy them, and wipe out Zeref's more atrocious legacy – _he was made of super strong stuff, damnit_ – so why was the Changeling spell getting to him? Must be all the insanity it was causing, and probably because he'd allowed them to cast it.

That was probably a bad idea, in hindsight. Although, he had warned them.

He sighed and dropped to the floor, staring at the scuffs and indentations in the old wooden planks, and he heard Mirajane gasp above him. "Oh, dear!" She knelt down beside him and gave him a concerned look, but before she could say anything, the door to the guild hall swung open. Standing, bathed in the golden glow of the mid-morning sun, was Master Makarov, looking as gloriously magnificent as ever. Natsu's spirits immediately lifted as though he'd witnessed Fairy Law. _Gramps would know what to do. Gramps always knew what to do._

" _I can't take this anymore!_ "

Natsu's gaze snapped up at the sound of Gray-Erza's highly annoyed shout, and his eyes widened in horror at the sight that awaited him. Gray, still body switched with Erza, was attempting to take his shirt off. He could feel the temperature drop in the room as Erza-Gray's head slowly swivelled around. She stared at Gray-Erza for a hard, long moment, before her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits – even on Gray's stupid face, it seemed Erza could still look dangerous. It was actually pretty impressive, Natsu thought.

"Not. Another. Move," she said, speaking through gritted teeth and voice like hardened steel. She'd walked closer to Gray-Erza. Gray ignored her, apparently too far gone in his need to strip, and his hands made their way into the fabric of the shirt and started _pulling_.

Erza was on him before he could breathe, pinning him down with a dark and dangerous look. Everyone in the vicinity who wasn't S-Class immediately took several steps back, knowing that Erza could and would kill with an expression like that. Even the likes of Macao and Wakaba, who Natsu knew would kill equally as quickly for an opportunity to see Erza without her shirt on, looked cowed.

"Do I want to know what's going on?" Gramps's voice suddenly cut through the sudden silence, and everyone collectively spun their heads around at him. Natsu's first thought was that the master looked very confused at what was going on, which – okay, that was understandable. Natsu felt sure that if he'd walked into the guild hall, only to see Gray fighting Erza in order to make her keep her shirt on, he'd also be very confused. His first thought would also be to wonder whether or not someone slipped some whisky into his drink without his noticing.

The silence stretched on for another long moment. Then, as one, the six afflicted rushed forwards like a herd of distressed creatures, suddenly shouting over one another. Natsu winced at the volume, but remained sitting on the floor.

"It's awful!" Lucy-Loke wailed, hands going to her face as tears started rolling dramatically down her cheeks. "You have to help us!"

"Get that stripping idiot out of my body!" Erza-Gray demanded angrily, still forcibly holding Gray-Erza down in what looked like a less lethal version of a chokehold.

"I'M A DAMN CAT!" Laxus-Happy shrieked, somehow having found out how to activate Happy's aeromagic. He was currently floating at eyelevel, looking somewhere between dejected and furious at his predicament.

Master Makarov stared at them for a long moment, and his gaze then swivelled around to look at the rest of them, then back again. Natsu could see the gears working in his mind, and he took a few steps closer to the body-switched six.. His eyes narrowed for a moment, and he let out a thoughtful hum. "Just as I thought," he said gravely, looking at those affected with a serious expression. "This seems to be the work of an ancient spell – "

"Thanks, we got that part," Laxus-Happy said snidely, floating down so he was hovering next to Makarov's head.

"If my suspicions are correct, this is the work of the Changeling spell," he finished, ignoring Laxus's comment, and Laxus himself. His eyes landed on the bit of paper that had been left on the table – the job request with the ancient writing on it. They narrowed again, and he let out a low hum. "By reading what was written on that page aloud, you've cast a powerful spell of personality transference."

"Fascinating, Master," Erza-Gray grit out, crossing her arms. She looked like she was resisting the urge to shiver uncontrollably. "How do we change back?!"

Gramps looked at her, face serious as ever. "While I've read up on many ancient curses," he started, "I'm afraid I don't know how to change you back." His expression suddenly changed into a rather sheepish smile. "After all, this spell is even older than I am!"

Laxus-Happy and Erza-Gray clenched their fists, looking seconds away from homicide.

"What I do know," Gramps said, either ignoring or oblivious to the dark looks he was receiving, "is that once the spell has been activated, there is only a half an hour time period wherein those affected can change back."

All at once, Laxus, Happy, Erza, Lucy, Loke, and Gray's expressions suddenly morphed into horror as they suddenly realised two things: one, they had no idea how long it had been since the spell had been cast on them, and two, there was the possibility of them being stuck like this _forever_. Natsu had to admit, he hadn't known about the last part of the spell, and his stomach churned unpleasantly.

(That was a damn understatement. His stomach had dropped out completely and relocated to Tartaros.)

"You mean… I'm gonna be stuck like this forever?" Laxus-Happy slowly questioned, slowly sinking to the ground as everything else began to sink in. His eyes were extremely downcast. "Stuck forever as a weak cat," he mumbled, looking at the ground.

Erza-Gray was in a similar sentiment. "Stuck forever in an ice body," she said mournfully, collapsing to the ground alongside the feline Laxus and planting her face into the floor, as well.

"What's wrong with being a cat?!" Happy-Laxus demanded, looking so upset it looked like he'd start causing thunderstorms in the guild hall. Laxus-Happy didn't answer him, too invested in apparently trying to suffocate himself in the floor. Natsu could only stare. He was about to say something – what, he didn't exactly know. He hadn't planned that far ahead – when the guild hall door swung open again. A chirpy voice rang out from the light, and Natsu felt his heart immediately lift in relief.

"Don't worry, guys!" Levy said cheerfully, smiling like some of her guild mates weren't about to switch bodies and magic forever. "Team Shadow Gear has arrived!" Behind her, Jet and Droy struck up ridiculous poses, and Levy made her way into the room. "Laki's already told me what's happening." She gestured towards the door, where Laki was standing, fidgeting nervously and looking like she didn't want to go near the crazy ones. Levy's expression became determined, and she made her way over to the table where the job request was still lying, as though it hadn't caused a huge guild-wide ruckus, and she sat down, taking books out of her bag. "Let's get you guys back to normal!"

Lucy-Loke immediately ran up to her, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Levy!" she said, tears continuing to roll down her face. Which looked odd on Loke's body, but Natsu had seen weirder things happen.

Smiling, Levy whipped out her Wind Reader Glasses and slipped them on, then picked up the job request. "I know a few things about ancient texts," she said, looking over the piece of paper. "So I'll start by looking at this."

Gray-Erza nodded. "Sounds good," he said, hands on his hips and looking slightly calmer than before. Natsu wondered how long that would last.

* * *

Five minutes later, Levy was seated at the table, poring over her books with the type of scrutiny usually reserved for completing job requests. Her Wind Reader glasses were glowing, a sign of the ridiculous speed that she was absorbing the information from her books. Her eyes narrowed in concentration, and she muttered something under her breath. Natsu hovered for a moment, before giving in and sitting opposite her.

"Hey," Gray-Erza said, arms crossed over his chest, "you sure it's safe to read that out loud?"

Levy didn't look away from the job request, flicking through books at the same time. "Don't worry," she said, slightly absently, "it's totally safe, so long as you don't read it in the correct order."

Over in the corner, Laxus was about to explode. "There's not much time," he said, sounding somewhere between murderous and panicked. "I _need_ to be changed back!"

Laxus-Happy, seated near him, have a bright smile. Natsu had to repress a shudder at that – he had never seen Laxus smile so much in one day. "I don't think it's _all_ bad," he said, smile becoming brighter. He clenched his fists, and looked like he was about to start creating mini-thunder storms again. Happy-Laxus clearly noticed, because his face darkened. Which, on Happy's face, looked almost as odd as Laxus smiling.

"I swear, you'll lose a life, cat!" he snapped, managing to make his face thunderous.

At the sound of a book closing across from him, Natsu refocused his attention on Levy. Levy looked exhausted already, and she reached up to rub at her eyes. Lucy-Loke suddenly popped up next to her, eyes hopeful.

"So, how's it going, Levy?" she asked, clearly hoping for good news. Natsu couldn't blame her.

Levy paused, eyes staring at the closed book, and said, softly, "No. I'm stumped."

There was a brief pause, as though the others were slowly taking in what she had said, then pandemonium erupted. Laxus-Happy let out a loud shriek, with Erza-Gray seeming to lose all emotion, muttering to herself. Gray-Erza, on the other hand, froze, and his hands went to his top – or, rather, the chest plate of Erza's armour, which he'd managed to accidentally requip back on – and tried to tug it off.

"I can't take it anymore!" he yelled loudly. Erza-Gray glanced at him, and a dark look entered her eyes. Within seconds, she had all but flown over to him, and was roughly holding down his hands and snapping threats of disembowelment at him.

Natsu stared for another lingering moment, then returned his attention to Levy, still looking downtrodden. He sighed to himself, wondering how this managed to happen, and he moved to sit next to her. Nudging her shoulder, he asked, "What's stumped you?"

Levy gave a strained smile, and she opened the book again, pointed at some of the words. "This language doesn't seem to follow normal conventions," she explained, gesturing at page full of symbols. She sighed, rubbing at her eyes again. "It's making it difficult to translate."

Natsu slowly pulled the job request over to him, and looked it over again. He paused, thinking, then asked, "I can't do shit to reverse it, but would it help if I gave you a rough translation?"

Levy looked over at him, gaping in astonishment. "You can do that?" she asked, and Natsu nodded. He focused back on the job request, and tried to find the closest words that the symbols meant.

"Okay," he said after a moment of deliberating, "This is what it says: _let this eternal exchange provide you with eternal happiness_." He made a face. "It sounds better in its original form."

Levy was still staring at him. "How did you know that?" she asked, turning back to her books and beginning to read them over again. Natsu shrugged uncertainly, resisting the urge to fidget.

"S'what Igneel taught me," he said, sounding uncomfortable. He fiddled with the ends of his scarf. "It's the language he knew, so it's what I was taught." That was the easy way of putting it. There was no easy way to explain the entire story – Natsu was still confused by parts of it himself. To have suddenly woken up one day in a world where no one spoke or wrote the language that he had been taught by both Igneel and Zeref had caused him to panic. Just slightly. Luckily, the spoken language had been similar enough to his own that he'd managed to pick up the gist of it during his time searching for Igneel, before joining Fairy Tail.

Levy was eyeing him speculatively, and Natsu raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Really?" she asked interestedly, returning to the book with renewed vigour, searching through tirelessly. Her Wind Reader Glasses lit up again, and words seemed to be literally lifted off the page. "That certainly explains some things." She quickly wrote down the translation, along with the original form, on the back of the job request, and she picked it up in her free hand, frowning in frustration. "I'm still not seeing any kind of a pattern here."

Whilst she continued scribbling, pen going at lightning speed, Natsu glanced over at the others, just in time for them to be told that they had three minutes left. Lucy-Loke immediately had a dejected look on her face, and Laxus-Happy stared straight ahead, face darkening.

"I suppose this is it," he said, sounding like he was giving up. "For the rest of my life, it's fish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner." His face contorted into something like desperation. "I've worked so goddamn hard!" And then, he took off flying, heading for a corner. "And now, I'm going to spend my days chasing mice and pieces of string!"

"Wait! Come back!" Happy-Laxus cried, getting up from his seat and chasing after him. Before Natsu could focus his attention on whatever was happening there, Gray-Erza stormed over to them, apparently having given up trying to tug the chest plate off, in favour of glaring at everyone.

"HAVE YOU FIGURED IT OUT YET?!" he yelled loudly, causing Natsu to wince. Damn these sensitive ears. As Natsu offered him a rebuttal glare, Macao popped up from the side, sign board in hand – when did they make signs?

"The situation is dire!" Macao announced, holding the board in front of Gray-Erza's face, " _With one minute to go!_ " Gray-Erza's eye twitched for a moment, then something within him seemed to explode.

"I DON'T RECALL ASKING YOU FOR THE TIME SO SHUT UP!" he exploded, eyes almost whiting out in his rage. Natsu watched, for a moment, in fascination. Next to him, Levy mumbled something under her breath again, pen scribbling down once again as pages of her book turned, almost on its own, at the same time.

"You've almost got it?" he asked her, carefully keeping his tone quieter than normal. Levy didn't look up, but she smiled, nodding quickly.

"Yeah!" she replied, book pages flipping faster now. "I'm almost there…"

There was the sound of raised voices, along with something being smashed, and Natsu jerked his head up. Somehow, in the ten seconds that he had spoken to Levy, and therefore removed his attention from the rest of his idiot friends, they had all erupted into a fight of sorts. From the way they were standing, they had seemingly grouped up into pairs, each with the one that they had been switched with. Their voices got louder and louder, each practically spitting fire at each other.

Beside him, Levy suddenly stood up, eyes wide. "Hold on!" she shouted, straining to be heard over them. " _I've got it!_ "

That caught the others attention, and they quickly ran over to the table, swarming around it like desperate flies. Levy held the piece of paper tightly, glanced at each of them, and started to read out whatever she had written. Natsu's ears twitched at the first word she'd written, and then a golden glow began to emanate from the piece of paper. Out of habit of self-preservation, he transported himself away before she could finish talking, appearing on the outside of the guild hall once again.

Outside, Natsu could still hear her chanting the spell, through use of his enhanced hearing. A flash of light caught his eye, and Natsu looked up. His eyes widened slightly. From the roof of the guild hall, a beam of white light had suddenly shot out into the sky, no end in sight. A few moments later, the beam of white light still there, Levy's chanting began to fade, and as her chanting began to fade, so did the beam of light. There was silence inside the guild for a long moment, then –

"I'm back to normal!" That was Lucy's voice. Natsu decided to transport himself back in then, if people had been changed back to normal. As he stepped out of his flame, he caught Lucy running over to give Levy a bone-crushing hug, the happiest expression he'd ever seen on her face.

"Yeah, me too," Loke confirmed, hands feeling at his glasses and hair. A look of profound relief crossed his face, and he immediately sunk into the nearest seat. He looked like he wanted to pass out at the table.

"How'd you do it, Levy?" Lucy asked, finally letting go of her so she could breathe. Levy picked up the job request that she had been writing on and showed it to her.

"When I realised the words themselves had no real meaning," she started, pointing at the original words on the front of the request, "I decided to read them backwards." There, she flipped the paper over and pointed at what she had written, including the translation. "It's actually pretty common with old languages. A lot of them didn't have many letters, so most of them had to be more creative with how they used words." There, Levy gave a bright smile. "That's why, when I reversed the words, it reversed the spell!"

From his seat, Loke gave her a tired thumbs up. "We really owe you one, Levy."

Gray and Erza, to the side, exhaled slowly, then said, simultaneously, " _I'm still in the wrong body_."

Levy and Lucy snapped their heads to face them, shock painting across their faces. " ** _WHAT?!_** " Levy looked like her world had just crashed around her.

Happy was shaking on the floor, paws on his head. "I'm still a stupid cat…"

Laxus, on the other hand, looked more cheerful than he ever had done in his life. "You mean I get to _stay_ like this?"

Levy bit at her lip, looking at her piece of paper again. "Maybe I didn't pronounce it right?" she offered, face blanking at the wall of sound that suddenly hit her. All of this would have been weird enough without anything else being thrown into the mix – insane friends with switched bodies was more than enough for anyone's day. However –

"Now, now, don't lose heart," came a familiar voice. Familiar, yet something oddly off about it. Natsu turned his head to the source of it, and his jaw just about dropped through the floor. Mirajane was sitting on the bar, which in itself was an odd sight to see, but she was also sitting cross-legged. And holding the master's staff across her shoulders. "There's gotta be another way." Her face then suddenly changed into shock.

At the same time, gramps said, "Something's not right." He started moving from side to side, hands on his face. "Hey guys, did I get shorter?" Natsu closed his eyes, willing the day away. Or willing himself to wake up. Around him, the room erupted into noise, once again.

"Oh no! Mirajane's switched bodies with gramps?!" Loke asked loudly, almost getting up from his seat. Gramps-Mira gave an overly enthusiastic smile, like all of his dreams and prayers had been answered at once.

"You won't hear me complaining!" he said cheerfully, as Mira-Gramps started panicking next to him.

"All of you just need to man up and get over it," Cana said, arms crossed over her chest and scowling deeply. "What's the deal? Why do I smell like a brewery all of a sudden?" On the table next to her, Elfman was sprawled across the top of it, chugging a barrel of ale.

Elfman looked up, then quickly looked back to the barrel. "Wait – what?" he slurred drunkenly. His face contorted with confusion and sudden nausea. "I – I think I need to take a nap." And with that, he keeled over backwards, falling off of the table and landing with a thunderous crash that had the very foundations of the guild hall shaking.

Natsu just stared at the chaos happening around him – somehow, it had doubled what it had been before. Gods, he had a killer headache now. As Jet and Droy suddenly realized that they, too, that been switched, something in him snapped. Levy was looking horribly defeated by all of it, face blank, so Natsu quickly grabbed her arm and allowed his flames to transport them elsewhere, where there were no weird spells, or insane guild members.

They'd deal with it another day.

* * *

Author's note: so, yeah. That was that. As I said, I really hope it turned out okay!

So, here are some story notes for you ^-^ well, story notes/headcanon explanation - in chapter 514, Irene and Belserion talk about 'the dragons of the west' attacking humans, which probably means Alvarez (or whatever the place was called before Zeref became Disney and took over everything). So given that Natsu and his (human) parents were killed by a dragon, I see him and Zeref as being born in Alvarez. Igneel loved humans more than any other, but Igneel told Natsu that it was raising him that gave him the power to love, so Igneel was probably from Alvarez, as well. Mira also says in episode two that Igneel taught Natsu about language and culture (and he's seen practising spelling in episode 264), even though he apparently couldn't read when he first got to the guild. So because (in this story at least) the three of them are from Alvarez, and four hundred years ago at that, it'd be fairy safe to assume that Igneel was teaching him a language used in Alvarez, which would link it to the language of the spell used for the Changeling, since it'd also be an old language by X784, and Natsu could read it in canon.

Sorry for the explanation being a bit incoherent, and probably a bit confusing. I couldn't think of how else to put it all.

Anyway, please let me know your thoughts on this!


	28. Chapter 28

Author's note: Hello again! I am sorry for the lack of updates for the last however long it's been - it's been a very bad year so far. My migraines have been getting worse so I'm in constant pain from those, I had a camera shoved down my throat for completely unrelated pain, and now I have to plan my dissertation for next year. As you can probably tell, I haven't been in the best place to write anything for this. Hopefully this turned out okay.

* * *

After the long, and frankly horrendous day he'd had, Gray could safely say with all certainty that his nerves were so fried that they felt almost numb. _Almost_ being the key operative word.

He could almost feel his own frame trembling with the weight of everything he'd witnessed so far – Erza screaming from whatever pain she'd endured, Natsu's enraged roars from the mistreatment of their friend, and his own residual rage bubbling beneath the surface of relief. Gray forced himself to calm, though, just the slightest bit, and took a deep breath, shuddering slightly at the slight pain the motion caused in his abdomen. It seemed that his fight with Juvia the Rain Woman was beginning to catch up with him.

"Hey, ashbrains," he said, looking towards Natsu. The ashbrains in question glanced towards him, eyebrow raised inquisitively. His hair looked oddly out of place, even more so than usual, if that was even possible. "Are you sure that your barrier will hold?" Gray couldn't help but look up at the runed barrier that surrounded them, that had surrounded them and protected them throughout Natsu and Erza's fight with José. Even so, if José was about to fight with Master Makarov, there was a very high chance that the barrier was about to be decimated by just the magic power alone.

That thought made Gray want to cringe.

Natsu glanced upwards for a brief moment, before reaching out and prodding the nearest point of the makeshift shield to him. The invisible wall rippled with the touch, circles arcing out from his finger, stilling after a few moments, and he frowned in thought. A moment later, he turned back to Gray.

"It should do," he said slowly. He sounded pretty uncertain about it, which didn't assuage Gray's concerns. Natsu's eyes remained narrowed, glancing between the barrier and the two wizard saints. "I'll keep an eye on it. If it starts to break, I'll – "

What Natsu would do, Gray never found out. Instead, there was the immense, crushing feeling of growing magical power. It felt as though there was a storm being brewed right in the middle of that very room, making the hairs on the back of Gray's neck stand on end. Not a second later, José launched himself into an offensive attack, moving fluidly like water. A purple magic circle appeared briefly at his fingers, so briefly Gray thought he'd imagined it for a moment, and then black and purple shapes burst forth. They shot straight towards the master, targeting him like they had been programmed to lock onto him.

In response, the master quickly moved his hand, fingers still glowing with the white shining orb of light, in a pattern only known to him, tracing something in the air that Gray could not discern. Before Gray had finished blinking, there were glowing, golden magic circles, each floating in front of the master, and each holding a specific, strategic position of defence. Gray could only watch in amazement as the purple laser, which had been so deadly in Natsu and Erza's battle, was deflected off of the golden shields with ease.

Gray was suddenly aware that he, and everyone around him behind the barrier, had become slack-jawed, awed by the display by sheer magical power. He quickly picked his jaw up off the ground, keeping his eyes trained on the master and José. In the corner of his eye, he could see Erza sat on her haunches as close to the barrier's edge as she could get, the light from the master's shields lighting up her face as she surveyed the battle. Though she would never admit it, she looked exhausted.

The master turned his face to look at them, his face frowning in concentration. "You kids need to get out whilst you have the chance!" he shouted, near demanded. Gray opened his mouth to protest immediately, because no way in hell was he leaving the battle to gramps now. Mira put one hand out, though, stopping him before he could speak.

"No," she said, voice deadly serious as she stared at the master and José, eyes wide and the golden magic reflecting in them. "We have to do as he says."

"No."

Gray whipped his head around. Natsu wasn't looking at any of them, didn't appear to be paying any attention to Happy sitting in his hair, but he was staring at the master, his eyes unreadable and shadowed. Gray was starkly reminded of Galuna Island, back when he and Natsu had been in the cavern where Deliora had been kept.

Lucy cautiously spoke up. "Natsu, what – "

"I have just enough magic power right now to maintain the shield," he said, glancing over to them for a brief moment. He then looked back to the master. "But I'm not leaving gramps."

Erza stared at him for a long moment, eyes darkening. "Natsu," she said dangerously, using the familiar tone of voice that made Gray want to instinctively back away from her, an instinct honed into him from their childhood. "The master gave us an order." She was trembling slightly, and when Gray tooked more closely at her, he could see that the combination of exhaustion, magical power depletion, and pain from her injuries were beginning to set in.

Natsu just gave her a look. "I'm not leaving gramps," he repeated, more firmly, slightly more sharply. His eyes flicked across their faces, seeming to search for something, and then continued, more subdued but just as fierce, "I won't leave him. Gramps believed in me." He looked back to the fight, just in time for another black and purple laser to shoot forth from José's magic circle, once again blocked by the golden magic circle shields. The resulting lights cast flickering shadows upon the ground. "So I won't leave." Once again, he glanced back over his shoulder, something less sharp in his gaze that time, and more tired.

He smiled slightly, a shadow of his former obnoxious grin. "You can leave if you want too. Gramps is getting fired up over there," his nod towards the battleground was punctuated by José's battlecry and by the sound of falling ceiling. Gray was surprised that there was any ceiling _left_ to fall. Natsu glanced up towards the broken ceiling, frowning for a second, then looked back to the rest of them. "In fact, maybe it would be safer if you did." His gaze flicked to Erza, and it seemed to soften slightly into something less harsh as they seemed to have a silent conversation, punctuated only by nods, eyerolls, and facial gestures.

Finally, Erza sighed, running a hand over her eye as she glanced across them all, briefly taking in their appearances before focusing on Natsu again. Her gaze steeled back into the hardened warrior that Gray knew, and she asked, "You're sure about this?" No nonsense, steel from the fire, and yet – she was concerned.

Natsu gave her another slight smile, lifted one shoulder an infinitesimal amount before dropping it, as though it was chained with something heavy. "Like I said, I'm nearly out of magic power. Yeh really messed me up, Black Steel," he added over his shoulder, snorting at the dirty look he received in return. "I'll be fine in a bit. Just need to sit for a bit. Might as well make sure gramps is okay." Another shrug. "I'd only be a risk out there." A nod in the general direction of where Fairy Tail's guild hall had stood, where the rest of their friends were fighting against José's forces. Natsu seemed to think for a second, before his eyes lit up and he turned to Lucy. "Hey, Luigi! I just remembered something!"

Lucy gave him an annoyed look and opened her mouth, probably to berate him for calling her Luigi again, when Natsu produced something from his pockets. Gray blinked. He hadn't even known that Natsu's outfit _had_ pockets. It seemed he did learn something new everyday. He eyed the thing, noting that it glittered gold and silver, and suddenly realised what it was.

"My keys?" Lucy asked, staring at them with wide eyes, as though she was wasn't sure she was really seeing them, or as though she was afraid that they would vanish. Natsu gently handed them over to her, the mental gently clinking together, and Lucy took them with shaking, revering fingers, holding them as delicately as one might hold a child. She stared at them for a long moment, looking astonished, before looking up at Natsu again. "Natsu, I – "

Natsu waved a hand dismissively, smiling that old familiar grin of fire and rage and everything that Fairy Tail embodied. "You wanted to stay in Fairy Tail, right?" he asked, the tone of his voice alluding to a previous conversation the two of them must have had. Lucy slowly nodded jerkily, clutching at the keys like a lifeline. Natsu grinned wider, and if it wasn't for the current setting, Gray could almost fool his brain into thinking they were back in the guild hall, Gray trying to fight Natsu and Natsu continually refusing. "So go be a Fairy Tail wizard! Show that clown over there your Fairy Tail spirit!"

Lucy clenched the keys more tightly for a brief moment, glancing down at them and biting her lip, before looking back up at him. Her eyes steeled, her face resolved, and she nodded firmly, placing the keys on her belt. One by one, Lucy, Gray, Erza, and Mira clambered to their feet, stumbling slightly as the building shook. Another burst of magic from the battle happening literally a few metres from them came shooting towards them, a stray burst of purple and black magic that must have rebounded off of the master's shields. Gray stared at it, swallowing past the nervous lump in his throat, as it bounced once again off of the shield around them.

"Be careful, Natsu," Mira said, clasping her hands in front of her, glancing between him and the battleground. Natsu just grinned at her, eyes brighter than before. Erza merely nodded at him, and slowly, the four of them made their way past the shield's barriers, the invisible walls rippling and conforming around them as they passed through. Once on the other side, a small magic circle appeared, resealing the shield, and Gray looked towards Natsu again. Met his eyes, and nodded jerkily.

With that, they turned and ran from what was left of the room, their footsteps echoing on the floor as Gray's heartbeat drummed in his ears; the sounds of the magical battle faded into nothing, and soon, they were alone, running towards the next fray.

* * *

Natsu stared after the four retreating figures, even after they had vanished from his sight, and he sighed in relief. A noise to his side suddenly caused his brain to remember the other occupant (other than Happy) of the barrier corner, and he glanced towards them.

"Maybe you should get out of here as well," he suggested, tone slightly more tired than it had been when talking to the others. The lack of magic power he was feeling from the various battles was starting to get to him, making him tired and any thought processes sluggish. At least the others were out of the way of any potential danger, he sighed internally, taking some small comfort in the feeling of Happy resting in his hair. He quickly reached out and probed at the shields, just to be sure – it seemed that they would hold for a while longer, at least. Natsu could only hope that gramps would finish the battle quickly.

Gajeel glanced at him briefly, mouth quirking slightly before turning his head back to the fight, snorting without humour. "Like I can move right now, Salamander."

Natsu cast his eyes back to the battleground, catching Makarov's gaze for a brief moment. At first, the master seemed angry that Natsu had chosen to remain behind, conflicted that he was about to fight at near-full power whilst in the presence of children. Natsu's expression didn't change, but whatever the master saw, it seemed to steel him, remind him that as dragon slayers, both Natsu and Gajeel were both tougher than the others, thanks to their dragon-like skin.

A second passed, and Makarov turned his attention back to José, the amount of magic power levels in the decimated ruin of a room growing to crushing levels. It almost felt like the power would suffocate them, wind itself around them until they choked on the sheer ferocity and malevolence of it. José let out a smile, cold enough to even make Natsu cringe.

"Well," he said, apparently uncaring about his previous opponents fleeing, shifting his body slightly into something more battle-ready. Natsu realised with a dawning, sickening feeling that any blows exchanged in the last few minutes were merely the warm up act. That would certainly explain the growing pressure. "Now that you're here, I've no interest in those children of yours." Makarov narrowed his eyes. "I'll exterminate those _pests_ after I've finished _you_ off!"

The light at Makarov's fingertips seemed to get brighter, as though responding to the barely concealed rage on the master's face.

"It's been six years since we last came face to face," José continued, tone deliberately light and conversational. "Then, Phantom was number one, and no one knew how large _Fairy Tail_ would become!" José paused, eyes scanning across the room with deliberation, lingering purposely on Natsu and Happy, the remaining Fairy Tail _children_ , and laughed harshly. "But now, it's been reduced to rubble!"

Without so much as a blink, Makarov launched forward, the light at his fingertips holding steady as his voice turned icier. "Our _guild hall_ may have been destroyed," he growled, moustache quivering in the hidden rage, hand going behind him as the light at his hand formed a constellation-like pattern, "but we're strong as ever!"

José's face didn't change, still deceptively light. "I must admit, I'm looking forward to this," he said idly, as though it were a round of drinks with an old friend he was about to partake in, rather than a potential battle to the death. "Although it's frowned upon by the council, I _can't wait_ to see who's the superior wizard!" The utter glee leaking into his voice was enough to make Natsu feel sick. He expected that sort of attitude from the likes of Tartaros, Jackal in particular, but for whatever else he'd done, José was still human, and it disturbed Natsu to no end to see such demon-like behaviour in humans.

The magic around the two of them began to flare up, José's magic taking form as flickering purple lightning. The master's constellation-like lights seemed to become more solid, rather than fading back into the one light point, white light flickering about him threateningly.

"I couldn't have done this without you, my children!" the master growled, face contorted in rage as he pulled back his fist, the light shining from it. "Be proud that you are members of Fairy Tail!"

Above them, there was a roll of something – Natsu's ears twitched, and he realised belatedly that it was thunder he was hearing. He looked up, past the ever-widening hole in the ceiling, into the sky, and frowned as he saw it begin to darken. Where there had been clear blue skies before, there were now black and grey storm clouds, having seemingly appeared from nowhere. As though they were being drawn there by the display of brutal magic power. Lightning began to flash, illuminating everything and everyone in the room with a sickly, yellowy tint.

And then the ground began to shake, as though an earthquake was simultaneously happening along with the lightning storm. Natsu felt his stomach contort in on itself, clenching painfully from the movements, and he let out a low groan of discomfort. Damn these moving buildings.

He forced himself to look up after a few seconds, blinking stars out of his eyes, and shuffled backwards as he realised that both José and the master had levitated themselves off the ground, their battle having properly began. Natsu squinted against the bright lights, stomach rolling unhappily, and could just about see the purple shield that José had created for himself, the white light that encircled the master.

All at once, the shields seemed to break, and José let out another battle cry, throwing his hand forward. More of the purple and grey spectres from before materialised, immediately lunching forward as one to attack the master. Makarov threw up another shield, so fast that Natsu couldn't track the hand movements. The pressure of the combined magics, pushing against the other, built up into a turbulent clash, sending the two combatants flying backwards with snarls on their faces as lightning raged around them.

José thrust his arm out, purple magic gathering in the palm of his hand, and he shouted, " ** _Dead wave!_** " Another purple magic circle appeared over the palm of his hand, and immediately, there was a giant beam of purple magic, heading straight for the master. It broke through stray bits of broken ceiling and wall in its path, reducing them to dust, and despite the knowledge that gramps was a fantastic wizard, Natsu felt his gut clench in sudden fear. The beam continued on until it reached the master, then Natsu lost sight of him as it seemed to engulf him.

As the master vanished from sight, lost in the purple, smaller beams suddenly began to splinter off from the main, larger one, heading in every direction. Natsu's eyes widened and, unsure of what would happen if they came into contact with either Happy or Gajeel – he may not be the other slayer's best friend, but given that the main beam had all but disintegrated _rock_ , he wasn't about to let that happen to anyone – he quickly threw more of his reserved magic power into the shield.

Just in time, it seemed. One of the splintered, smaller beams of purple shot towards them at a dizzying speed, and collided with the shield, right in the centre. Rather than bouncing off harmlessly, as a lot of the other magics had been doing during the battle, there was an ominous, brief sizzling noise, followed by the feeling of warm air drifting towards them.

A second later, it had all stopped. Natsu cautiously shifted himself forward, ignoring Happy's quiet warning, and poked at the shield with his index finger. The barrier flexed around it, ripples heading outwards as they had done before. However, there was something not quite right about it. Natsu's eyes zeroed in on something in the barrier, and he frowned as he realised that the magic splinter had essentially bored a small hole in the shield. Just how long had José been researching such dark magics, he thought as he looked up, still frowning.

The other small splinters of magic had impacted with the walls around them, on the other side of them, leaving gaping holes in them as rock and brick began to crumble away. As the dust and debris began to fade, Natsu saw that the main blast, which had gone straight for the master, had also vanished. His stomach lurched, looking desperately into the swirling dust, too thick to see anything.

And then, the master appeared, floating in mid-air with golden shields at his arms and feet. The relief that Natsu felt at that was so profound, he felt lightheaded for a moment, and over the rush of roaring blood in his ears, he could vaguely make out Happy letting out a quiet cheer. The master didn't hesitate with his rebuke. He slammed his hands together in what seemed to be a triangle-shape, fingertips barely touching, and a ball of white light appeared in front of them. Makarov's eyes narrowed, staring at José, and with a cry, he sent a beam of pure white light, aided by the floating shields, straight back at José. At once, the moment the beam seemed to make contact, the entire room – hell, it could have been the entire world – light up, light up to the point where Natsu couldn't see anything past the vast expanse of blinding white.

" _Tch_. Overkill, much?" Natsu heard Gajeel mumble as he squeezed his eyes shut, the blinding light making his sensitive eyes burn. "Gah… make it stop…" It seemed that Gajeel was suffering as much as he was with it, and honestly, Natsu couldn't blame him at that moment. He suspected that it was only the barrier in front of them that was keeping them from flying backwards, along with the rest of the bits of debris that he heard whip by every so often.

Almost as quickly as the light appeared, blinding and terrible, it faded again, leaving Natsu with darkness. Hesitantly, he reopened his eyes, the light initially painful but settling back to normal. He quickly glanced around, and saw that where there had been bits of debris littering the floor before, it was all now piled up into a raised platform of sorts. The master and José slowly floated back down, gramps settling on top of the pile of rocks and looking quite serene.

"I'm impressed," Makarov admitted, looking down at the smirking José, "you've so much power at your command." The continuous stream of smoke behind him seemed to only heighten the tense atmosphere. "I can see why the council named you one of the ten wizard saints." The master's face darkened, ever so slightly. "However, you're misusing that power for your own personal gain! You could have become a role model for the younger generation." His eyes narrowed. "Instead, you've become a lesson in _not what to do!_ "

If Natsu had to judge by the shift in José's expression, the way he concealed his anger behind a blank, unimpressed mask, he'd say that he had been ticked off by that.

"What is this?" he asked, vague smirk still managing to come through. He looked up at Makarov. "A lecture?" He sounded quite baffled by it, brief irritation fading away.

Makarov continued to stare down at him, expression stony. "I've a rule that seems to work well with my Fairy Tail kids," he said plainly, and Natsu frowned again, forcing himself to lean forward. Makarov's eyes became intense, fire burning within them. "I'll give you to the count of _three_ to do _exactly_ as I say." And suddenly, Natsu understood. " _Kneel to me_."

José smiled, as though he wasn't quite sure whether or not the master was joking. "What?"

Makarov's intense expression remained, eyes boring holes in his opponent. " _One_."

"So you want me to concede and _kneel_ before you?" José asked, very much unaware of the danger he'd just put himself in. His eyes widened, smile getting larger. " _NO WAY IN HELL!_ "

" _Two_." The pupils of the master's eyes had vanished, leaving only the whites visible. His hands went into a motion that Natsu realised that he had seen once before: palms facing inwards and each other on an angle, light shining out of the centre. In some long buried memory, Natsu recalled Zeref taking a similar stance during a lesson on magic types, the golden light flowing out of his hands like water, the light that seemed to expand to encompass the whole area.

" _This is Law_ ," Zeref had said, after the light had faded and he'd retaken his seat. " _It's a powerful spell, but you shouldn't use it unless there's no other choice_."

Zeref had looked so serious when he said that, so Natsu had to ask, " _Why?_ "

His brother had paused to think for a moment, wind ruffling his hair. " _Because it's a judgement spell_ ," he said slowly, speaking as though he were still deciding which words to use for a six year old, " _it can go wrong if you haven't learnt how to use it properly._ " Another pause. " _Or it can hurt you as punishment_ ," he had added, voice quieter. Before he'd known what was happening, Natsu was then pulled into a hug, a kiss being pressed into his hair, and the words, " _I won't let_ _ **him**_ _hurt you_ ," murmured in his ear.

Natsu was jolted from that particular memory by another shout, from José again, and as he tuned in again, he noticed the purple spectres from before. " _We were the best and top guild in this kingdom! And would never stoop so low as to kneel before_ _ **you**_ _!_ " José was beginning to look unhinged, from where Natsu was sitting, safely behind the barrier. "Technically, we are _equally_ powerful! But my ability to be heartless makes _me_ the stronger!"

The light from the master's palms shone brighter, and his hands began to rotate around it. " _Three_." The light flared, then began to expand like wildfire, his hands still rotating around it, as though shielding a small flame from a storm.

" _You_ are the one that should be kneeling before _me_!" José shouted, smile finally fading and leaving in its place a snarl. "Now, you and your _precious_ Fairy Tail children **_are going to die!_** " Around him, the purple spectres seemed to react to his words, rearing up as though ready for a fight again.

" _Time's up_ ," the master said, as though he had heard nothing of what José had said. The magic in his hands seemed to be restless, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

" ** _This is it!_** " José yelled, his expression caught somewhere between a grin and a snarl, all teeth and no feeling. His eyes glinted darkly, with excitement. It was a direct contrast to the blank whites of Makarov's. He reared back, and with a tremendous roar, he sent purple spectres flying at Makarov from each hand.

The master's hands, in the meantime, had moved together, so that they were nearly touching. The light continued to envelop them, starting to shine so bright that it seemed it would burn everything away. Natsu took a quick glance at Gajeel, and saw that he'd gone paler than before, staring straight at the master and back straight against the wall. He turned back after a moment, frowning in thought, and saw that the master had elevated himself off of the pile of rocks, light shining around him like a full-body halo. The purple spectres shot towards him, hurt and malice in their every intent. As they got within range of him, though, the spectres suddenly dissipated into mist, fading away as the golden light reached further and further out. José stopped in his assault, looking somewhere between horrified and speechless.

" _I invoke_ _ **Fairy Law**_ ," the master intoned, the light about him getting brighter still. His eyes suddenly opened again, and Natsu could just see a glimmer of a magic circle, golden like the rest. Above them, above the ruined ceiling and in the storm cloud covered sky, another magic circle appeared, another golden one to match. It continued to expand, so that Natsu could only see the centre of it, until it suddenly retracted again, quickly drawing back towards the centre.

The moment it vanished, as quickly as it had been summoned, the whole world seemed to vanish. Bright light filled his every sense, blinding but somehow warm and comforting, a shield telling him that all would be well. He held his arms up against his eyes, teeth gritted even as the same memory from before, of Zeref and **_Law_** , jumped back into his head. Somewhere next to him, he heard Gajeel let out another disparaging groan. "Is the old man out to blind us or somethin'?"

After what seemed to be an eternity, the light started to fade, leaving behind only the vague after-spots in his vision, and Natsu hesitantly opened his eyes. To be honest, he wasn't sure what he was going to see. The last time he had seen a version of this spell done, it had only been a lesson, not in actual combat. As the dust began to clear again, he noted that it had driven away the storm clouds, leaving only clear blue skies in its wake once again, and sunshine filtering through into the broken room. There was a whimpering sound coming from the other side of the room, and Natsu cast his eyes towards it.

José was still standing, arms over his eyes protectively and trembling in what could only be fear. At a closer look, Natsu could see the sudden lines that appeared on his face, the way his hair had whitened. José had been aged forward, it seemed. Either that, or the master had taken any and all of his magic power, reducing him to fear-filled, withered husk.

Makarov just stared dispassionately. "You will never bother Fairy Tail again. Understand?" He turned away from José at long last, expression pondering. "I'm sure the magic council will be watching us after the chaos we've caused. You'd better be on your best behaviour from now on." With that, he began walking away from his thoroughly defeated opponent. "I know I will."

Behind him, a pair of ghostly, disembodied hands appeared in the air, reaching towards him. Within a few seconds, the rest of their body appeared, revealing it to be Aria, one of the Element Four. Natsu frowned, thoughts momentarily going off track, as he'd thought that Erza had already, and soundly, defeated him. Before Natsu could get his thoughts back on track, the master suddenly swung a fist behind him, stretching it out so that he didn't move from his current course. It hit Aria dead on in the face, and sent him flying.

"The war is over," the master declared, not looking back. "There's no reason for us to fight anymore." His tone darkened. "But if you push me to the point of anger, I'll wipe out your _entire guild_ without hesitation!" Another pause, then, "Now, you kids get out of here!"

As the master slowly made his way towards them, Natsu cautiously shifted forwards again, having not realised that he'd pressed himself against the wall at some point, and carefully brought the barrier down. Luckily, it didn't take as much magic to bring down as it did to put up, so it allowed his depleted magic power to continue building back up. The master stopped in front of them, and frowned at them.

"Hey, gramps," Natsu greeted, fist in the air and grinning widely. "Good fight there!"

He was answered with a giant fist whacking him on the top of the head. "What were you idiots thinking, staying here during all that?" he demanded, fist shrinking to normal size as he looked longsuffering.

Natsu shrugged. "I had a barrier up, gramps. It was fine."

The master let out a noise similar to a frustrated shriek that had gotten stuck in his throat, before he calmed down again. "Well, I suppose there's nothing to be done now. I don't suppose you can take us back down there?"

Natsu frowned again – he seemed to have been doing that a lot today – and calculated his current magic power levels. Technically speaking, he didn't require too much magic for his Hell's Gate spell to work, since they were only warping outside. Smothering another sigh, he looked up with a grin. "'course I can!" A quick glance towards Gajeel, who was still sitting there, staring at the master and looking shocked, and a black magic circle appeared underneath them. He felt Happy's paws tighten in his hair, and within seconds the flame engulfed them, a brief feeling of dizzying disjointedness, and then they were back on solid ground again.

At the sounds of cheering, and what sounded like a party already, Natsu smiled. He couldn't blame them – it had been a long few days. However, since his senses were still fried and oversensitive from being exposed to so much bright light, he decided not to stick around for it. Another dark magic circle appeared underneath him, and he happily and gladly flamed himself and Happy back home. First things first; time to sleep for a week, then eat for a week.

* * *

Author's note: So, that was that. Finally the end of the Phantom Lord arc. Let me know your thoughts on it?


	29. Chapter 29

Author's note: Hello lovelies, since I'm currently in Spain I have more inspiration for writing, so here's this chapter ^-^ I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I tried, so I hope it's okay!

* * *

In the days that followed the guild war with Phantom Lord, the town of Magnolia felt oddly subdued, the atmosphere tense wherever they went. The tense feeling was especially true down in the basement of the guild hall, which was still being used as the main area for job collection and completion. There had been some suggestion from Max that they try to rebuild the guild hall as quickly as possible, but everyone's minds had been on the same thing, the thing that was preventing them from really doing _anything_.

The magic council.

It was unspoken amongst the guild members that at some point – whenever the council got around to it in ERA – there would be soldiers on their doorstep, at the very least. The master seemed to be particularly stressed about that possibility, if the way he sat chugging tankards of ale was any indication. It was around three days in, after Natsu had finally woken up from his post-magic power depletion nap, that Erza had apparently decided the master had had enough to drink.

Given that this was the first thing that Natsu saw as he walked into the guild, he thought that he _really_ couldn't be blamed in just transporting away instead. Besides, he'd planned to do that at some point during the day anyway – seeing an angry, _loud_ Erza had just pushed that priority forward, slightly. He reappeared on top of a grassy green hill, overlooking Magnolia from a distance. Instantly, he was overpowered by the smell of grass, of fresh flowers and what was undeniably very clean air. Off to the side, he saw Laxus fiddling with something – from this distance, Natsu thought it might be a lacrima.

"Yo," he greeted, wandering up to him and dropping down heavily beside his fellow slayer. Laxus grunted in greeting, but otherwise didn't acknowledge him. That was fine with Natsu. Idly, he stared out across at Magnolia, absently rolling a stray flame around in his fingers as he descended into thought.

While it was fairly common for him to have dreams that involved Zeref to an extent, often memories of his time spent with his older brother, the war with Phantom Lord, particularly the encounter with Sol, had forced more unpleasant memories to the forefront. Whilst he had slept, Natsu had dreamt of the incident in that first village, unable to escape from it and what he had done. From the moment he'd woken up, earlier that morning, there had been a lingering guilt in the back of his mind – how many had he killed that day? He doubted he would ever know the true answer to that. There was always the option of asking Zeref, of course, but Natsu knew that his older brother would probably lie, in some misguided attempt to protect him. The thought nearly made him roll his eyes.

A sharp jab in his upper arm swiftly brought him back to reality, and he blinked confusedly at Laxus. Laxus just stared at him, lowering the offending hand, and said, "Whatever you're thinking about, _stop_." Natsu opened his mouth to protest, but Laxus immediately began talking over him, wagging a finger sternly. "No, shut up. What's got you thinking like this?" His expression darkened slightly. "Do I need to be concerned again?"

Natsu paled slightly, thinking of the last time Laxus had decided to be concerned about him. Not even mentioning the broses had deterred him. "No!" he quickly denied, waving his hands about wildly as he scooted back a bit. Laxus was still staring at him calculatingly, like he wasn't sure whether or not Natsu was lying to him. "It's just something that the sand guy said the other day." At Laxus's blank look he elaborated, "That sand guy from the Element Four. He just made me think about something."

Laxus gave a hum, expression somewhere between looking not entirely convinced and looking vaguely uncomfortable – beyond giving him stern lectures, Laxus had never been fantastic with emotions. For all of the hype that _Sorcerer's Weekly_ provided about him, and his ridiculous levels of magic power, he was really a human equivalent of an emotionally stunted potato. Natsu had said as much, a couple of years back, and Laxus had slapped the back of his head.

"Do you need to, uh, talk about it?" he asked, sounding uncomfortable with the idea of talking. Natsu could understand that, in all honesty. Talking with Mira about his personal demons – he mentally congratulated himself on his choice of words – was one thing, but Laxus? He couldn't see it happening.

Natsu gave a smile, deliberately light. "Nah, no thanks," he replied, shaking his head. "I'll be fine. Just need to get back into it all." He made a fist pumping motion, accidentally setting it on fire in his forced enthusiasm.

Laxus eyed him for a lingering moment, silent before giving another unconvinced huff, and rolled his eyes. "Sure. Whatever." He paused to slip his spiked headphones, ever present with their emotionally stunted owner, off his ears and down to his neck, where they momentarily blasted out loud music before they shut off. "I know the perfect thing to do just that."

Natsu raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What thing?" he asked, hint of curiosity entering his voice.

Laxus put the lacrima he'd been fiddling with between the two of them, and immediately Natsu could see images playing in the glass. After a brief second, he realised that what he was looking at were his guild mates, fighting against Phantom Lord's forces at the destroyed site of the guild hall. He recognised Cana, sending forked lightning towards her opponents with a swipe of a card. Wakaba, he saw curling smoke into different forms, and Macao sending tongues of fire towards the dark spectres.

"During that fight, a lot of people got injured," Laxus said seriously, the images still playing as he talked. "While these idiots can use magic, most don't know how to defend themselves properly, or even use their magic as an effective attack." Natsu hummed in reply, eyes glued to the lacrima. He could admit, he saw where Laxus was coming from. It wasn't that their guild mates were without skill, it was more like they were without proper training. Most of their guild mates had no formal training, often teaching themselves how to use their magic but never anything beyond that. If they did pick up new skills with their magic, it was often through jobs when they had been overwhelmed by enemies, and as such forced to adapt their techniques.

"What are you getting at?" he asked, finally tearing his eyes away from the lacrima to look at Laxus. Laxus looked grim, face set in a light scowl.

"We both know that most of them are shit with defence." Well, at least he was being blunt about it. "They need to get some actual training so this doesn't happen again." Laxus sighed again, rubbing at his eyes in what seemed to be tiredness and frustration. "Any training I try to give them, though… they'll just slack off. Not even try."

"Erza might, and Gray if he's particularly salty," Natsu helpfully reminded him, before conceding, "but yeah, you're right about that. Magic power doesn't mean anything if you can't use it properly."

Laxus nodded, relief at being understood appearing on his face and in his frame. Natsu continued in his out-loud thinking, tapping fingers against the ground. "The only way yeh'll get them to take it seriously is if you make it like, a competition or something." He paused, another idea forming. "Or if you gave them a reason to fight."

"Make them think it's a genuine battle?" Laxus guessed, face turning thoughtful. They both paused in their discussion as, over on the other side of the town beyond the walls, they spotted a sea of white capes. Within a few seconds, the sounds of quick-marching feet reached their ears, thanks to their heightened sensitivity. Laxus snorted. "Took them long enough," he said, a hint of derision in his voice directed towards the newly arrived Rune Knights. Silent for the time, the two of them watched, with dragon eyes, as the Rune Knights made their way noisily through the town, finally halting to a stop at the site of the ruined guild hall.

Laxus shook his head, snorting slightly, and returned them to their conversation, Rune Knights swiftly forgotten. "How would we get them to take it seriously?" He paused, seeming to consider something. "Perhaps Freed, Evergreen, and Bickslow could help…"

"Calling on your devoted army, Laxicle?" Natsu couldn't help but laugh, and Laxus sent him an irritated look, and Natsu calmed himself down enough to resume talking. "I get where you're coming from though. All their magic is in their eyes, right?" Laxus nodded, and Natsu let out a thoughtful hum. "They're all pretty versatile with fighting, as well." The more he actually thought about this, about including Laxus's fan club, the more it actually made sense to him. As quick as Laxus's lightning, an idea flashed into his mind, and he asked, "Evergreen can petrify people, can't she?"

"She can," Laxus confirmed. "It's her **_Stone Eyes_** ability. 'S'why she wears the glasses." A pause, then, "You think she do something with that?"

"Aye," Natsu nodded, a plan already forming in mind. The basics of it seemed simple enough, but executing it, however, was another matter entirely. Oh well. They'd cross and burn that bridge when they came to it. "Maybe the best way to get the others to take this seriously is to _make_ them take it seriously." What he was thinking of was going to be brutal for most of them, but it was often through the most brutal of training that magic could develop the best. Any dragon slayer worth their weight in scales could attest to that, particularly those raised by dragons. Natsu could still feel the bruises from Igneel's training regime, even a few years later. "Give them a reason, a real reason, to fight," he added on when he saw Laxus frown in consideration.

"That could work," Laxus said, tone light. "Freed is good with rune magic – he could set up barriers and traps that the others have to think their way out of. If two of them end up in a trap together, he could fight the winner." Laxus's fingers tapped against the ground rhythmically, almost an unconscious motion. "Ever and Bickslow could be enemies to either fight or avoid. And if you lose a fight, you get eliminated and cannot fight anymore."

"And to make sure they take it seriously, Evergreen could use her **_Stone Eyes_** on some people beforehand…" Natsu trailed off, giving a low hum as a stray bit of the wind brushed through his hair.

Laxus grunted in what Natsu assumed was agreement, and he sighed, mind still whirring as he sat back, braced against his hands, staring down at Magnolia. This was far more complicated than he'd anticipated.

* * *

It had been a couple of days since Lucy had seen the guild hall – or, rather, what remained of it. Porlyusica, the angry, purple haired mage who lived in the woods, had seen to everyone's injuries, and a lot of them had been ordered to stay at home. Lucy had been one of them, having been forced into 'bed rest' for her injured ribs. She had the feeling that she really should have just stayed in bed today – Porlyusica had recommended at least five days without strenuous activity, and Lucy had thought, after only three days, that she could handle going back to the guild.

Her ribs were seriously protesting against it now, the days-old bruises clenching uncomfortably underneath her bandages every time she moved. Porlyusica could help with any ailment, but it seemed that she could not hurry time along.

The aching in her ribs seemed to fade as she stared at the broken guild hall, and she felt her spirits sink, guilt acting as an anchor. Other members of the guild were milling around, slowly picking up bits of rubble and clearing away the debris. A lot of them had some sort of bandage on, a sign of the fight they had all been dragged into.

(That _she_ had dragged them into, a voice whispered in her head.)

Lucy spotted Erza, barking orders at passing guild members. She was back in her standard, everyday armour, a sliver of white peeking out on her arm. Gray passed her by, shirtless as always and torso wrapped in bandages. The master was standing, seemingly at the centre of the chaos, staring up at the broken guild hall. Lucy felt something snap inside her at that, and she slowly made her way up to him, keeping her eyes on the ground. How could she face him, after the lengths that everyone had gone to, to keep her from Phantom Lord – lengths that had gotten most of them injured, and their guild hall destroyed.

"I – " she started, then stopped, voice getting caught in her throat. "I'm so sorry."

Out of the corner of her eye, as she focused her gaze on a piece of debris, she saw the master turn around and look at her. She tentatively looked up, hand clenched in growing anxiety. The master didn't look angry, or vengeful. Rather, he just looked sad, sad for the situation, and sad for her.

"Ah, child," he said softly, "you've been through a lot lately." Her ribs ached at the reminder, and her heart and gut clenched with guilt again. She lowered her head. "But don't let it get you down."

"Yeah, let's see a smile, Lucy!"

Lucy whipped her head around at the sudden voice, shock coursing through her like lightning. Her eyes widened, and she let out a gasp. "Levy?"

Levy was standing there, flanked by Jet and Droy, and Reedus standing a short distance away. Each had bandages wrapped around them in some form – Lucy noted that Jet had his arm in a sling, that Droy was using a crutch. Levy gave a smile. "Yeah! We're back!" Levy gave a wink at that, and Lucy couldn't help but stare.

"You're alright?" she asked, voice coming out a gasp again. Levy gave another smile, tilting her head to the side slightly.

"We beat Phantom, so there's no reason for you to be sad," she said, sounding quite cheerful. Lucy caught sight of the plaster on her cheek, and her insides gave another guilty lurch.

"Sure, they might have destroyed our guild hall," Droy continued, smiling slightly.

"But we're gonna build it bigger and better!" Jet finished, enthusiasm laced into his voice. He went to give a fist pump, then stopped as he realised that his arm was still in the sling. He gave it a frustrated look, then shrugged.

"Yeah…" Lucy said quietly. Levy clearly noticed something on her face, because her smile became brighter.

"I'm sorry that we had you so worried," she said, smiling apologetically. Lucy stared for a moment, not understanding. Why was _Levy_ sorry? It wasn't Levy's fault that this happened. The entire fight with Phantom had been –

"No! It was _my_ fault!" she protested, her brain catching up with her, allowing her to speak. She wanted them to understand this – why didn't anyone understand this? Levy gave her another of those apologetic smiles, stopping her in her tracks.

"We heard about your secret," she said, "but there's not a single person in the guild who thinks you're to blame."

That was a lie, Lucy thought inwardly, trying not to let her grimace show. She blamed herself. How could she not, after what harm she'd brought to her friends and comrades? She looked down again, her eyes focusing in on a stray piece of debris. Hands clenching and unclenching erratically.

"Lucy," a voice cut through her inner turmoil. The master's, she realised dimly, as she looked up towards him. He was looking up at the pile of rubble that had once been the guild hall, back to her. "Though we may not be able to share our feelings of happiness and sadness entirely, we do share them to some extent. That's what happens in a guild." Lucy stared at him, eyes wide. "One person's happiness becomes everyone's happiness; one person's anger is everyone's anger. And one person's tears become everyone's tears." Several members of the guild, like Cana and Laki, gave her smiles of reassurance as the master spoke. "There's no reason for you to feel guilty, so don't cry. You should already know how much everyone hear cares about you."

Lucy couldn't help it, then. With little prompting, the floods, which had been barely held back until that point, burst open, and she found herself in tears. She brought her hands up to her face, in an effort to stem the tide, even as her chest wrenched with the effort of taking a breath.

"Hold your head high, my dear," Makarov continued, Lucy barely hearing him through the stream of tears, "because you are a proud member of the Fairy Tail family."

* * *

A week on, in her small apartment by the river that flowed through Magnolia, Lucy found herself finally sitting down. She felt exhausted, right down to her bones and soul, as though something had drained everything right out of her. Shortly after Levy had woken up and returned to (what was left of) the guild hall, the Rune Knights and the magic council had shown up, effectively detaining everyone that had been involved with the incident with Phantom Lord. Master Makarov had just about cried an entire ocean out when he'd seen the sea of white cloaks appear. From Lucy understood, the Rune Knights already had José in custody, and were presumably questioning him elsewhere, the same with the Element Four.

What Lucy _did_ find odd, though, was the fact that Natsu didn't show up for the entire week. The Rune Knights had apparently been unable to find him, much to their extreme annoyance. Whether or not it was because Natsu had simply overslept in a bush somewhere, like that time on Galuna Island (that had been Gray's snide suggestion, during one of the few breaks between interrogations that they had been allowed), or just whether that he decided to just leave Magnolia that day, _just_ as the Rune Knights got into town, Lucy didn't know.

What she _did_ know, though, was that after enduring a week of daily interrogations – everyone was just about ready to either cry or rip their hair out. Mirajane looked ready to kill with the deadliest smile she could find – the Magic Council was seeming to leave them alone, now. The Magic Council, it seemed, had decided to make a ruling on the punishment for the Fairy Tail guild at a later date – a decision that had everyone both breathing a sigh of relief, and trembling in fear. That could spell either good news or bad news for them, because whilst they could be let off easily for this, there was the possibility that the Council would decide to be spiteful.

Lucy just sighed, and looked down at her desk. A jumbled mix of paper, pens, and old photographs – things that wouldn't usually be out in plain sight – lay scattered haphazardly, a clear sign of the tiring week it had been. She was about to shift in her chair, when a piercing pain shot through her side. Lucy hissed through her teeth, wincing sharply, and she gingerly lifted up her shirt, looking at her side. Although the bandages had been removed a couple of days ago by Porlyusica, deciding that all injuries obtained needed air, the bruise on her side was now an angry, deepening purple. She gingerly brushed the tips of her fingers over it, the lightest feather-touch, and her side protested immediately at it.

A brief pause as she allowed her shirt to fall back down, the material brushing painfully over stinging skin, and she resumed what she had been doing before – writing down her jumbled thoughts. She couldn't help the horrible thought that –

What if it _was_ her father that sent Phantom Lord after her, and subsequently, after Fairy Tail? Would he go that far? For a moment, Lucy didn't think so until – a memory flashed into a her head. A memory of a rice ball with a nori smiley face, lovingly made by tiny hands and presented by a lonely heart, lying smashed against the floor. Lucy clenched the pen in her fist for a moment, breathing hard.

No, she thought, scribbling down faster, harder so that it left indentations in the paper. He would. But why, and why now, she wondered.

Lucy had run away from her father's less than welcoming household going on half a year ago – probably more, time had seemed to lose all meaning once she joined Fairy Tail – and not once had he tried to find her. Lucy doubted that in the three months between her leaving and her joining the guild, he even noticed that she was gone. And she was willing to bet, now that he knew where she was, that he'd go to such lengths as this again. Lucy clenched her fist.

She would not allow it. Never again.

* * *

The tavern that he had ended up in was about as seedy as one could get. However, it was also situated in a town far from Magnolia, and far from the Rune Knights, and hidden in the shadowy alleyways, where no one liked to step for fear of dark wizards and weretigers. During the past week, Natsu had found himself wandering throughout Ishgar, in his valiant quest to avoid the Rune Knights and magic council, The tavern, as dodgy as the patrons that graced its grimy tables and rickety chairs – Natsu suspected that they hadn't been replaced since the First Master's time – also attracted a lot of customers who brought with them interesting rumours.

From his darkened corner, quietly sipping at the cleanest drink he could think of to buy, he kept a sharp ear out. He heard about useless things, the vast majority of the time – someone's getting married ("Oh, give Debs my congratulations!"), someone's having a funeral ("Send Auria my condolences."), or someone having a baby ("Yeh had a kid? They're permanent, you know, Karen.") – although he did pick up the occasional tidbit that whilst was of no use to him, he instead passed along to the guild for the town. Things like smuggling plans, dark wizard meetups, plans for necromantic rituals, and plans to enslave the souls of the innocent.

The thing that caught Natsu's attention, though, was whispered from one patron to another, in quiet tones of utmost fear. If it wasn't for the enhanced dragon hearing, he never would have heard it, but the moment he did, his ears pricked up, brain on alert.

"-nother one," a middle-aged man was saying over the rim of his ale, moustache quivering almost as nervously as his voice, small eyes constantly darting from side to side with tangible paranoia. Almost as though he expected the topic of conversation to come waltzing through the door of the seedy tavern in the middle of nowhere.

His companion, an ageing woman with hair of white and a spindly frame, paled. She put down her own drink and wrapped her hands around it. "That's the third one this week," she said quietly, shaking her head. "That poor boy." Natsu suddenly had a premature feeling of coldness, even though it was near physically impossible for him to be cold. "Do they know where he was taken?"

The man sighed, his larger frame sagging forward in his chair. He looked exhausted, and broken at the same time. "Around the bridge, they reckon. All the witnesses said they saw the same thing. And it was all the same as the other times." The woman sighed, her head dropping in defeat, and she gave her companion's hand a gentle pat. Natsu leaned forward, head whirring, and he resolved to learn more about whatever was going on in the town.

What seemed like hours later, hours of sitting in corners listening in on people's conversations and quietly, casually, engaging people in conversation, Natsu had managed to gather enough information to ascertain the gist of what was going on, at least. In the town, for the past couple of months, there had been abductions of their citizens. Both the local authorities and the wizard's guild had looked into the heinous matter, but neither of them could come to any conclusion. The abductions didn't seem to have any pattern with _who_ was being taken, nor was there a set location to stay away from, as the perpetrator seemed to strike from all areas. Most of all, those taken never returned.

At least, Natsu corrected himself grimly, going over his mental notes from his designated corner of the tavern, a fresh drink in front of him, not at first. About a month after the abductions started happening, the kidnapper started returning the victims to the town. However, they would always show up as corpses, mangled and bloody, as though they had all undergone something truly horrific before they died. It didn't take a genius to know that this needed to be stopped, but the issue was going about it. How was he supposed to catch a creature when he didn't even know where it would appear?

The second that the thought crossed his mind, a strange scent entered his nostrils, drifting in from outside. He couldn't describe it, beyond its pungency and – something else? Something like an aura of death, usually associated with the majority of Zeref's demons. But if there was a demon near this location, Natsu would have known about it, would have been able to sense it before now, like he had Deliora and Lullaby.

He got up from his seat, throwing however much his drink was towards the bar, and made his way towards the door. As he pushed it open, allowing fresh air into the stale establishment, a ringing scream echoed out in the night. Natsu was immediately on alert, all of his dragon enhanced senses reaching out at once in an effort to locate – whatever it was.

Almost immediately, his nose locked onto a location, the location of the strange scent. It seemed to be the exact same location of the worrying scream. Focusing on that pinpoint in his mind – it came from a direction that he'd absently walked down earlier – Natsu quickly called forth his flames and transported himself to the location. When he stepped out of the flames, it was just in time to see something shadowy beginning to disappear into a black floating circle.

In that moment, Natsu's brain ceased to stop functioning as it normally would. If he had continued to think, he might have taken a step back and tried to track the mysterious being through normal means.

That was not what happened.

Instead, he lunged himself forwards, propelled by the sudden burst of bright orange flames at his feet and elbows. Just as the strange shadowy thing began to vanish completely, Natsu's hand closed around it. There was a strange shifting sensation, like the ground was being pulled from under him, and as he fought the urge to throw up and let go, the world around him vanished.

For what seemed like an endless eternity, it was the feeling of shifting, swimming in the void. Natsu held onto the shadowy being as best he could whilst trying not to simultaneously drown and suffocate at the same time in the crushing vortex around him. Beneath him, his feet seemed to float on nothing, as though the very world around them had ceased to exist. For a very real, very frightening second, Natsu imagined that it had, and images of Fairy Tail, Igneel, Zeref, all that he had loved flashed before his eyes in a bang.

And then, it was over.

Natsu felt the world shift again, as though it had been tilted sideways, then the ground was beneath his feet again. The world seemed to melt into view again, the darkness receding back from whence it came. Involuntarily, Natsu let go of the shadowy thing, and he almost doubled over, the feeling of intense sickness and nausea from such an experience almost overwhelming. Natsu closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing and tried to force the feeling away for the moment – what could have caused such a reaction, anyway, the off topic side of his brain said wonderingly – and slowly straightened back up to assess the situation.

Natsu honestly didn't know what he'd been expecting.

He didn't know whether he'd been expecting to see a dark wizard with shadow manipulation magic, or some sort of monster, but this – this was something else. He knew the instant that his eyes laid upon it that it was another of Zeref's demons, one of the older ones.

"Etherious," he murmured, more to himself than anything else.

A writing, twisted mass, the demon was large, a strange ragged cloak covering a lot of its body. Jutting out from beneath the hem, though, Natsu could see glimpses of a tentacle. Upon the top of the demon, where a head would normally reside in most creatures – Natsu had, admittedly, come across creatures where it was _not_ the norm – there was the skull of some enormous beast, the bone as white as chalk, and the horns as twisted and gnarled as ancient tree roots. The demon heaved a shuddering sound, a twisted, awful thing that made Natsu want to cover his sensitive ears.

" ** _Hungry_** ," it said, voice low and somehow echoing a thousand times over. It shifted to the side, seeming to glide, revealing its latest victim. Natsu's eyes widened, and for a moment, for the second time, his brain seemed to stop functioning. For the victim – a young man, couldn't have been any older than Natsu himself – was lying stock still on the ground, skin as pale as the bone on the demon's head. The demon turned to the boy. " ** _So hungry_**."

Natsu snapped into action, and lunged forward, flames appearing at his wrists and feet. "NO!" With a tremendous roar, a plume of white hot flame bursting from his mouth, he sent the demon flying away from the boy with a fire fuelled punch.

The demon regarded him for a moment, almost curiously as it tilted its head to the side and eyed him. Then, it let out another noise, this one a rasping sound. " ** _You are not good_** ," it rasped, lifting a shifting hand and pointing at Natsu. The eye sockets of the skull glowed with pinpricks of red. " ** _Nothing there. Must feed. So cold. So hungry._** " It started moving back towards the boy, and Natsu quickly let flames trail up his arms, all the way to his shoulders. He'd make himself into the most dangerous windmill in Earthland if he had to. " ** _Always so hungry!_** "

"Yeah well, most of us just eat Mira's cooking," Natsu snapped back, sending trails of fire down either side of him. And through him, for good measure. Wasn't like _he_ was going to get burnt by a bit of fire, after all. "Try eating normal food and maybe yeh won't _be_ hungry!"

The demon continued on in its path, now ignoring Natsu and his valid suggestions. Natsu's eye twitched, and when the demon reached the trail of fire, Natsu swung his fist forward. "Oi, pal! It's _rude_ to ignore people!" What Natsu expected to happen was to hit the demon back again, as he had done initially. Unfortunately, as seemed to be happening a lot today, that did not happen.

Rather, his fist, still cloaked in brilliant flame, went straight through the demon, as through it were made of nothing but air and shadow, and the demon continued on through the trail of fire. Continued on towards the boy, who was clinging to life by a sliver of a thread. Why had he managed to punch the demon before? Had he just caught it off guard? That had to be it, Natsu thought grimly.

"If dragon fire doesn't work," Natsu murmured softly, the flames on his arms slightly shifting colour as their heat increased, "then maybe another type will." Even as he spoke, a single black band appeared on his arm, a sign of what was to come. Natsu rushed forward, using the more powerful flames to propel him towards the demon. He pushed his fist out in front of him, fire coating around it like a meteor. " ** _Fire Dragon's Retribution!_**

His fist seemed to land inside the demon, which itself seemed to be devoid of any substance. The closest thing he could think to compare it to was the feeling of trying to chase a shadow, and running into air instead. It seemed that the demon was made entirely of shadows, which then led Natsu to his next observation. As the fire around his fist went to explode in earnest – in normal circumstances, a modified curse such as that one would cause a lot of damage, and was one of the strongest techniques that Natsu had in his arsenal – the darkness around it seemed to swirl faster, swelling and twisting around the flames until the flames had been entirely extinguished.

Natsu reared back, drawing his hand back with him. The demon turned, finally deciding to take notice of him, The tattered cloak seemed to heave, billowing in invisible wind. In the sockets of the beast skull, red eyes glinted menacingly. A voice, sounding as though it was speaking from the very depths of Tartaros and echoed by a thousand screams of torment, rasped out, " ** _Demon_**."

Without warning, slices of dark magic – no, curses, Natsu corrected mentally – came slashing towards him, faster than he could blink. In a panic, Natsu quickly teleported himself a few feet to the side, and watched as the slices cut through the numberless trees behind where he had been standing, leaving them to fall to the ground. Natsu shifted his stance. If it was a battle this demon wanted, then it would get one _hell_ of a battle.

Without pause, the demon directed another volley of the dark curses towards Natsu, slicing towards him at dizzying speeds. Natsu quickly dove to the side that time, mind whirring in overtime. What the hell could he do to combat a demon that extinguished magical power? As he'd already seen, his dragon slayer magic was useless against it, which left only his curses to try. But even then, Natsu was hesitant. Whatever the creature was made of, or was forcing itself to be made of in that current time, it was insubstantial, and he wouldn't be able to land a solid hit either way. He ground his teeth in frustration, and launched himself to his feet.

" ** _Fire Geyser!_** " he shouted, slamming his arm into the ground. Fire travelled from his shoulder to the ground, and where the other demon was standing, a giant geyser of fire erupted from the earth, under where it was standing. The creature gave a pained cry, and jumped away from the fountain of fire, flames that might have been on it extinguished within seconds.

The demon turned to look at it again. For a creature that lacked a face of its own, wearing the skull of another long dead creature, it radiated pure malice in a very tangible way. The air almost seemed thick with it, choking to breathe. Before Natsu could think to launch another attack, strange moving shapes appeared around him, dark, shapeless masses that seemed to mimic the writhing nature of the demon in front of him. Pools of black – something – appeared on the ground, and Natsu instinctively knew that touching those strange pools would result in something far worse than death. He didn't want to find out what.

" ** _Death_** ," the demon rasped out, voice rattling behind the bone mask, chilling to Natsu's fire filled core. " ** _Shadows. The void_**." More of the strange, shadowy shapes appeared, and before Natsu could move, one of them launched at him, screeching, wailing like a tormented soul. As the sound ripped through his eardrums, the strange shadow passed through him, and Natsu suddenly felt cold, as though everything within him would suddenly shut down. He staggered, teeth chattering from the sudden chill, nearly stepping into one of the black pools near his feet. " ** _Shadows snuff out the light._** "

An image came to mind, a memory of Igneel from when he was first teaching Natsu the basics of dragon slaying magic. The look on Igneel's face when Natsu managed to produce a flame from magic for the first time, the feeling of happiness that it produced, so warm and vibrant…

Natsu snapped his eyes open, not realising that he'd shut them. The flame within him began to grow, grow until it was a raging inferno, and it burst forth onto his skin, racing down his arms, his torso, his legs, chasing away the shadows and leaving black markings in its wake. For once, Natsu didn't care about the bands of black around his arms, the black webbing on one arm delicately encircling his wrist in an intricate pattern, nor about the black marking across his eyes that surely must have appeared by now. Not when the boy was still lying on the ground, still unconscious, still hovering on the edge of the void.

"So long as there's a single flame," Natsu began, beginning to power up his next attack, hopefully the attack that would finish all of this, "so long as there's even a _single spark_ –" Natsu threw his arms out, the fire running along them like droplets of rain, and multiple magic circles appeared in the air around himself and the other demon, dark red and slowly rotating. They all shifted slightly, calibrated themselves and aimed. "-then there will always be light. And as long as there is light, it will continue to burn! Shining brightly until even _you_ can't exist in it!" The magic circles began to glow slightly, and the demon let out a wheezing, guttural screech, made to move towards Natsu. Natsu shifted his stance, and said, softly, " ** _Hell's Reckoning_**."

All at once, the magic circles glowed violently red. A split second later, what appeared to be jets of white hot flame shot out of each of them, lighting up the entire area in the process. Natsu hadn't realised how late it had gotten, hadn't realised that he'd been relying on his enhanced eyesight. The beams all struck the demon at the exact same time, producing an explosion that even Igneel would have been proud of. Natsu quickly teleported over to the boy and transported him to a safe distance, away from the searing heat, and the danger of falling debris and trees. Carefully laying him on the ground, he transported himself back to his original position, watching and waiting.

The dust slowly cleared, and Natsu cautiously edged forward. In the middle of a newly created crater, there lay a tattered mess of dark limbs, twisted and inhuman. Natsu had been right about the feet – where there would be legs, there were tentacle-like appendages, drooping like they had lost the fight to carry on. Natsu walked over to the creature, and crouched down beside it.

It shifted its head, red eyes glinting slightly as it looked up at him. " ** _Always so hungry_** ," it said, a weaker repeat of an earlier statement, There was a strange grating sound, almost like the creature was coughing. " ** _Always cold. Had to eat. Always. The warmth inside_**." With a trembling arm, fingers too crooked, it gestured towards the general area of Natsu's chest, and Natsu frowned in confusion. " ** _All had warmth inside. Had to eat_**." Natsu furrowed his brow as he thought briefly about what the demon could mean. Most likely, it was mumbling nonsense, the lost thoughts of a dying creature. However, it referred to the warmth inside, an expression that sounded vaguely familiar.

Then, it clicked.

"You were eating their souls for the warmth?" Natsu guessed, a sick feeling unfurling in his stomach. The demon made a noise that sounded like an affirmative, a rattling sound that seemed to come from the ground. Natsu heaved in a deep breath to collect himself, then refocused on the demon in front of him. "You won't be cold anymore," he promised, a touch softer than he'd intended. The red eyes looked at him again, and Natsu sighed, raising a hand and placing it on the forehead of the beast's skull. "I'm sorry that he created you." A deep breath. " ** _End_**."

As black flames burst from his hand, spreading around the demon, those red eyes gave him a final look. A look that looked almost like gratitude. And as the flames burned away the last of the demon, Natsu heard a rattling, shaking voice whisper on the wind, " ** _Thank you, Master_**."

Natsu just at the ground for a moment, mind moving sluggishly and hands trembling. Slowly, the black markings receded back into his skin, and he heaved out another breath, forced himself to stand. He was not quite done yet, he thought as he turned to where he'd left the boy, a short distance away from the fray, the explosion. He quickly made his way over to him, stumbling as his lack of energy started catching up with him, and carefully picked up the boy. Flames enveloped them, disappearing as quickly as they came and leaving them outside of the town's local hospital. Ignoring the looks of any passing citizens, Natsu strode into the hospital, boy still in arms, and snagged the first passing doctor.

"This is the person who was taken," he said, voice coming out a tired rasp. The doctor stared, eyes widening and jaw dropping, before jumping into action, fishing a small lacrima out of her pocket and talking furiously fast into it. Within seconds, they were swarmed by hordes of doctors, and the boy was being carefully lifted from Natsu's arms, taken down the hallway by people who could help him.

The doctor that Natsu had originally snagged turned to him, disbelief written all over her face. "Where did you find him?" she asked, a hint of hesitation colouring her tone, as though she was afraid to ask.

"I… don't know," Natsu answered, realising as he replied that he'd never taken the time to look around the impromptu battlefield, besides seeing the trees. "I just saw his kidnapper disappearing into a vortex… thing… so I grabbed hold and followed."

He was hit across the head by a very sold, very sharp clipboard. "That was irresponsible!" the doctor lectured irritably, glasses flashing in the white light. "I am glad that you recovered the patient, but you have clearly been hurt, too!" She pointed at Natsu's side, and whoa, okay, now that she mentioned it, he did feel a bit off. Admittedly, he'd been feeling sick since the fight, but he'd just chalked that up to having to use _that_ curse. As he looked down at himself, he realised why she looked so annoyed with his reckless behaviour.

Across the top right side of his chest, there was an unusual looking wound. Natsu couldn't remember getting it at any point in the fight. None of the dark slices had managed to hit him. Then he mentally smacked his own head as he realised that he had been hit during the fight – the weird shadowy thing, that had very briefly left him unable to fight. It must have made an actual wound when it went through him. So had it done any damage inside his chest? Not that Natsu was too worried – dragon slayers healed fast, so long as they weren't mortally injured.

He tried to give the doctor a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine, doctor." He held up a peace sign for emphasis.

The doctor didn't look convinced, if the frown on her face was anything to go by. "I insist you let me examine that," she said, trying to gently take Natsu's upper arm. Presumably to steer him down the hallway, to where everyone was seen.

Natsu quickly took a step back, holding both hands up and giving a strained smile. "No, no! Really, it's fine! We have a doctor at my guild!" If the term 'doctor' included purple-haired crazy ladies who lived in the woods. "I don't want to take up any more of your time!"

The doctor still looked dubious, but no longer looked like she was going to drag him off down the hallway, kicking and screaming. "You are sure that you will be okay until you reach your guild's doctor?" she asked carefully, and Natsu nodded, adding extra enthusiasm for effect. The doctor sighed, tucking her clipboard under her arm, and nodded as well. "Very well, I shall trust your judgement on this." She held out a hand. "Thank you for what you have done."

Natsu forced a grin, giving her hand a shake. "It was no problem!"

A few minutes later, once outside the hospital, he left the town in a whirl of flames, exiting them seconds later at his home in Magnolia. The magic council and the Rune Knights should have left by now, and all Natsu wanted to do, after that unexpected ordeal, was to just sleep for another week, not talk to anyone whilst his brain sorted itself out. He stumbled forward, not really looking at his surroundings.

Something small and blue raced towards him, and there was a collision at his chest. Natsu let out a gasp of surprise, and looked down. Happy was clinging to his chest, tears running down his face and fur bristled. Without thinking about it, Natsu raised a hand to stroke over Happy's ears. If Happy was upset, his own tiredness could wait.

Before he could ask, Happy looked up at him and said, voice wobbling, "Lucy's gone!"

* * *

Author's note: So, yeah. Like I said, not sure how I feel about this one. The demon was inspired by Elias from The Ancient Magus' Bride. Please let me know your thoughts on how it turned out! :)


	30. Chapter 30

Author's note: Hello again, lovelies! As always, I am sorry for the very sporadic updates - I had to sort out real life shit. Also, is anyone reading Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest? Because I am and I am quite enjoying it. Anyway, hopefully this turned out okay!

* * *

Lucy almost instantly regretted returning to her childhood home. While she had been happy to see the staff again – Spetto, Ribbon, Aed, and Bero, her celestial spirit magic teacher – the house brought back both the fond memories she shared with her mother, the occasional memory where Aquarius didn't try to drown her, and awful memories of recent years. Stepping inside the house immediately seemed to bring back the feeling of loneliness she'd felt as a child, and she looked around, gazing at familiar walls and decorations.

The house wasn't home to her, not anymore. Now, it only housed childhood ghosts and bad memories.

A short while later, she found herself being dressed for an audience with her father, maids at her sides. The dress felt heavy, dragging against the floor as Lucy moved in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection. In her peripheral, she could see two of the maids putting the finishing touches to it, making it perfect. Making her perfect, like a doll to be dressed and put away on a shelf. Lucy internally grimaced at the feel of the dress, at the way the tight bodice of it pulled against her bruised side. In just six months away from her father's house, she had forgotten the feel of wearing dresses such as this one. Frankly, she did not miss it.

The maids pulled back and admired their handiwork, giving her happy smiles. "How's that, miss?"

"It's not too tight, is it?"

"It looks like the sleeves might be a wee bit too short for you now, miss."

Lucy smiled again, meeting their eyes in the mirror. Gods, her hair felt heavy, piled up on top of her head like that. "It's okay," she reassured them brightly, moving her eyes over the smaller details. She seemed to have gotten taller in the time that she'd been away from the house, as well. No doubt the influence of Fairy Tail's chaotic environment.

Another moment, then she turned around, giving the maids another smile. "I should probably get going," she said, and the maids smiled, bowing out of the way as she walked forward. Lucy tried not to let her discomfort at the submissive gesture show as she passed them, the dress dragging along the floor as she went.

Gods, she hated these dresses.

The walk out of the doorway, and down the endless hallway, seemed to be an endless one. It allowed her to mentally review her thoughts and take in the house. Being back here in this house, the house that she had grown up in, always alone and removed from the outside world, filled her with a familiar loneliness. Even the way her footsteps echoed off the walls, devoid of paintings of ancestors due to the relative newness of her family's legacy, sounded like it was the loneliest place in the world.

Soon, all too soon, she was approaching the doors to her father's study. Double doored and imposing, they stood tall against the length of the wall, the dark wood always somehow glinting in the lamplight. Spetto was passing by, carrying a tray of tea, and gave Lucy a wide, happy smile. Lucy returned it, hoping it didn't look too strained as she came to a stop outside the doors. She carefully put one wrist over the other, breathing in slowly to try and ease her growing anxiety, the voice in the back of her head telling her, shouting that this had been a terrible idea.

Lucy moved her hand to her side, where the bruise still painfully made itself known with rhythmic throbs. Where she had hidden her gate keys – time in Fairy Tail, where trouble erupted from nothing, had taught her to always have some sort of defence on her. Breathing in again, clenching her fist at her side, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Excuse me, father?" she said through the door, old habits and patterns about speech coming back to her as though she'd never left. "It's Lucy." Another breath. "May I come in?"

There was a pause on the other side of the door. It was the times like these ones that Lucy wished she had some sort of enhanced hearing magic, just to fill the silence that seemed to permeate from the door in that seemingly endless moment. Then: "Yes, you may."

Lucy slowly pushed open the door, automatically falling back into her old posture, her old walk. Stepping into the room, she gently shut the door behind her, and turned to look towards her father. The reason why her guild mates were injured, her guild hall in ruins, why she was here in the first place.

Standing in front of the dark wooden desk at the far end of the office, Jude Heartfilia was bathed in the light from the wall-length window, casting an elongated shadow against the carpet. His hair, neatly slicked back in the perfect look for an overlord of a business or empire, faintly shone gold in the filtered sunlight. The same golden hair as Lucy's own – at first glance, she may have looked like a carbon copy of her mother, but there were small differences between them. Like her hair colour – Layla's had been a shade or so lighter, like wheat instead of gold, Where her mother's eyes had been a light brown, almost edging on amber, Lucy's were a smidge darker, the same colour as her father's.

"You ran away without even saying a _word_ to me." Lucy snapped back into reality, and hastily shifted her posture again. Her father was frowning at her. "How could you?!"

 _Your treatment, for one_ , Lucy thought, nearly said. She barely censored herself in time, and shifted her face, putting on an invisible mask, made her face blank. "I'm sorry," she said, voice carefully neutral, devoid of anything. "I shouldn't have left without speaking to you. It was a poor decision on my part." Stick to the formal language, don't show any feeling. "One I now deeply regret." Her mind flashed to Levy again, to Jet and Droy in bandages. All of it stemming from her father's indignation, because she didn't leave a note.

"I'm glad you finally came to your senses and left that guild," her father said, giving her a glance before turning to the side, hands behind his back. Lucy took the opportunity to quickly grimace, a moment of freedom before shifting her face back into moulded china. "A lady of your status shouldn't be affiliated with those _ruffians_." Lucy wondered what her father would think if he knew exactly what she'd been up to. A younger part of herself, a naïve voice in the back of her mind, wondered if he'd be proud of her achievements – she had helped in stopping a plot to bring back Deliora, had gone on numerous jobs with her friends, even performed in a nightmarish play – before logic smashed it down. Before he'd look at her achievements, he'd comment on her manners, her decorum, her choice of company. "I certainly wasn't looking forward to wasting any more of my money to have it eradicated."

Don't show emotion.

"You forced me to go to extremes, Lucy," he continued, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "If you hadn't acted so selfishly, I wouldn't have had to lash out at your guild."

 _You didn't need to lash out in the first place_. Lucy kept her face carefully blank.

"You're the one who brought trouble upon your friends." Lucy lowered her gaze slightly. Her father's words were an involuntarily repetition of Lucy's inner thoughts, the thoughts that had been circling ever since the war between Fairy Tail and Phantom Lord ended. "It's better that you don't associate with them anyway. You're a member of the _Heartfilia_ family. You have nothing in common with those _peasants_..."

Lucy thought back to Erza, the valiant scarlet warrior, screaming in agony in the clutches of José's malignant dark magic; to Gray, staring in horror at a nightmare come back to haunt him from a past she knew nothing about; and to Natsu, telling her his darkest secret to make her feel better, flashes of nervousness showing behind his bravado. Maybe she didn't have anything in common with them. She was willing to agree that point. That was only because the people she was friends with – those who had chosen, despite everything, to befriend _her_ , some directionless new kid to the guild – were all extraordinary.

Natsu had said that her father had done everything he did out of misguided love. Lucy was very much willing to disagree.

"You come from a completely different world than they do," her father continued on, oblivious to Lucy's train of thought. "Which brings me to the reason why I wanted you home in the first place, dear." So there _was_ a reason why he'd gone to so much trouble. Lucy had wondered at that. After six months and nothing, what would suddenly prompt her father to react so violently? "It's about our family. I have arranged for you to marry Duke Sawarr. The Junelle heir." He turned, turning his back to Lucy, and faced the window, hands still behind his back.

Lucy's mind was reeling. In the six months that she had been away, her father had gone and arranged for her to get married? Even in her thoughts, she found herself speechless at his behaviour. This was worse than anything Lucy could have imagined. It was as though she was a china doll, simply being handed over to someone else for ownership. The thought made her feel sick.

She said none of those thoughts. Instead, she said, "Yes, I suspected that might be the case." Still carefully neutral, still showing none of her inner thoughts or turmoil.

Her father hummed. "Try to think of this as an investment in your future." Lucy nearly snorted. Of course he was using money as an analogy. When wasn't something about money? "Once you're married, you'll have access to the Junelle family's vast lands in the south, which will allow us to expand the Heartfilia Railway, and bring in _millions_." So she wasn't just a china doll being given to a new owner. She was being sold to the highest bidder. The clarity of the situation made Lucy feel nauseous.

"I see," she said, a hint of resignation accidentally entering her tone.

"And I expect you to give birth to a baby boy," her father said, as though it was an obvious point. He'd been planning her entire life and future whilst she'd been gone, Lucy realised numbly. "We _need_ a Heartfilia heir." There was a brief pause, as her father gave her a moment to absorb the information. "That is all for now. You may return to your room."

Lucy let the silence reign on for another moment, before letting out a silent sigh. "I'm sorry, father," she said quietly, finally letting her mask drop. "But that's not going to happen." Her father turned around, wide eyed and shocked. Lucy stared at him, expression defiant. "I didn't come here to make amends. I came here to say my final goodbyes."

"I realise that it was wrong for me to leave without saying anything – it's something that I've regretted every single day." Lucy glanced towards the desk, where a framed picture of her mother sat, shining in the light. "And so, I've come back here to tell you _exactly_ how I feel before I leave for good!"

Her father looked apoplectic with anger, but Lucy didn't care. She'd listened to him talk about everything that she was supposedly doing for the rest of her life, from marriage to babies, so he was going to listen to her whether he liked it or not. He owed her that much.

"All the money in the world can't buy you happiness!" Lucy said loudly, clenching her fists at her side, near where her keys were. "I figured that out when I was a child." She tilted her head up. " _Finally_ , I'm truly happy!" Her father still looked stunned into silence, stunned from anger. "And I'm not gonna let you ruin it for me!"

Her father seemed to snap out of his trance, and he took a step forward, hand reaching out. "Lucy," he said, a warning tone entering his voice.

Before Lucy could think about it, she was taking a step back and whipping out her keys from where she'd hidden them at her side, in a small, neatly hidden pocket. Less than a second later, she had a golden key in hand, was pointing it straight at her father, hand unwavering. Steel glinted in her eye. She would not back down from this.

"Don't!" she warned. Her mask was completely gone, as though it had never been there in the first place. "I am not a puppet for you to control! And I am _done_ with letting you rule over my life!" A smashed rice ball flashed in her mind's eye, and Lucy grit her teeth. "I have found my own life, and I love it! I wouldn't trade it for anything, not for all the money in the world!" She slowly pulled her hand back, keeping a firm hold of her keys. "Because I love Fairy Tail! And I am a proud Fairy Tail wizard!"

She raised both hands to the top of her dress, across her chest, and she _pulled_ at it, pulled until she felt and heard a tearing of fabric. Very suddenly, the dress fell away, leaving Lucy standing in only the underdress, but never feeling more alive, more emancipated, than she did in that moment before. As her father watched with now horrified eyes, strips and tatters of the dress's material fell around her like the ash of her burned away life.

"It doesn't matter that you're my father," she said, keys clinking together as she shifted. She raised a hand, the hand that held her keys, and pointed at her father. "If you threaten us, _if you threaten my friends_ , we will crush you just like any other enemy!"

Her father's eyes widened at that, and for the first time, Lucy felt a jolt of sadness at the situation. "It didn't have to be this way." She smiled slightly. "We could have sat down together, had tea and talked things out." Her face fell again, and she sighed. "But... now I can't trust you. You've hurt too many people I care about." She clenched her fists. "I don't need fancy dresses, a big house, or lots of money to be happy. I just need to be accepted for who _I_ am!"

A brief pause, an interim where she and her father simply stared at each other – the elder still in a mix of horror and confusion, the daughter in resignation and defiance. After that pause, Lucy turned away from him and slowly started walking towards the door of his study, stepping through the shreds of the dress. "And I'm not Lucky Lucy Heartfilia anymore," she threw out, not looking back, eyes focused on the door. "I'm Lucy of Fairy Tail." She lifted up her hand with her guild mark on it, allowing her father to see it. "People there treat me like _family_." The rice ball flashed before her eyes again, the memory of a little girl crying alone. "Something you never did."

She stopped in front of the door, and looked at the floor. "It was hard to leave this house," she admitted, lowering her hand and clenching it again. "Only because I have so many fond memories of living here with mom. It's really hard to leave them behind." A beat. "But it's time for me to move on."

She turned around again, faced her father once more, and offered him a slight smile. "I believe that, if mom were still alive, she'd tell me to always be true to myself, and do whatever makes me happy."

A look of anguish crossed her father's face, and, just barely, she heard him murmur, " _Layla_ …"

She turned back to the door, and this time placed her hand on the handle. "So this is goodbye, daddy," she said softly.

Lucy didn't wait for a response, and was stepping out of the door, closing it solidly behind her, before she could hear anything else. She offered each of her old teachers and staff a friendly smile, trying to not let her inner turmoil show, as she stepped past them – they had been crowding at the door, listening in and had been caught off guard. Lucy didn't have it in her to scold them. After her confrontation with her father, she just felt drained. She wanted to go home. Back to Magnolia. Back to Fairy Tail.

Getting changed back into her normal clothes was a quick affair, and suddenly, she was standing outside the house, staring up at the building that she had spent her childhood home in. Her gaze lowered to the statue of the angel, standing in front of her. It seemed to be watching over her, seemed to smile at her and radiate an aura of peace. Lucy paused, pressing her hand against the lettering below the angel.

 _LAYLA HEARTFILIA_

 _X748 – X777_

She pulled her hand away, and slowly turned around. Just as she was about to start walking forward, ready to start the journey home, a giant flame appeared in front of her. Lucy immediately recognised that flame. She'd seen it appear, had been _in_ it whilst it had been appearing, countless times. She could only stare, wide eyed and shocked, as Natsu and Happy tumbled out of it, lacking their usual grace.

"What – " she started to ask, eyes wide. Happy took note of her, did a double take, then launched himself off of Natsu's shoulder, crashing into Lucy's chest like a furry blue cannonball.

" _Lucy!_ " he yelled, giant tears rolling down his face. His paws tightened their grip on the material of her shirt, and Lucy could just _hear_ the claws sinking their way through the shirt. "Please don't leave! You can't leave!"

Lucy opened her mouth – whether to console this crying cat about… something… or to ask what on Earthland was going on, she didn't know. No noise left her throat, though, the words abandoning her as quickly as she tried to think of him. Over Happy's head and ears, she looked towards Natsu and gave a slightly desperate, questioning look. Natsu just shrugged in return.

"That's how I found him," he explained, gesturing at Happy. Lucy attempted to carefully pry him off of her top, but when that failed, she sighed and settled for holding him there instead. "Something about you leaving a note and leaving?"

"A what? A note?" Lucy asked, confused. What note? She hadn't left any notes for anyone to find. She'd never intended to stay, to bow to her father's ridiculous demands. "I never left any…" she trailed off, something clicking in place. She hadn't left any notes, but her letters. Letters she'd written to her mother. Her head snapped back down to look at Happy, eyes beginning to narrow. "Did you go to my apartment, cat?"

And as Happy scrambled to explain why he'd been in her apartment, Natsu watching passively in the background, Lucy felt that there was no place that she belonged better than Fairy Tail. As the three of them started the walk back to the train station – Natsu had said that he didn't have enough energy to transport them back to Magnolia with his creepy flames – Lucy glanced back at her family's home, at her childhood where her ghosts still lingered. Without really thinking about it, she looked up towards the window at the very top, in the very centre overlooking the estate.

She could see the barest glimpse of her father, staring down at his daughter engaging with the _ruffians_. A second passed, and she looked away again, looking forward, continuing onward.

It was maybe half an hour into the trek back to the station – it was taking longer than normal due to the three of them choosing to walk more slowly, coupled with the fact that her father's estate was a fair journey from the town – that Lucy noticed that Natsu was acting strangely. This, in itself, wasn't a strange thing. Natsu could be very odd when he wanted to be, and tended to view the world in an odd way, something that Lucy suspected was down to being raised by a dragon. No, what was strange about Natsu's behaviour was that he wasn't acting like himself.

It wasn't noticeable, at first. He was still smiling, talking as they walked, and overall being quite animated to the untrained eye. Upon further glance, though, Lucy noticed the way his smiles seemed strained, how his animations seemed forced, and how there was something off in both his tone and entire demeanour. She probably wouldn't have noticed anything, but her years of reading various genres of books, plus the time she'd spent writing things of her own, had taught her to be more observant.

Then there were the tears in his clothes, the shadows that lingered under his eyes, the half-hidden wound on his chest. Lucy wondered what the hell he had been up to.

* * *

Lucy finally worked up the courage to ask him about it when they were seated on the train, heading back to Magnolia. It would be a couple of hours, at least, so it was a good a time as any. Natsu sat across from her, slouched in the seat and tucked into the corner, in the tiny sliver of carriage wall between the back of his seat and the window. Beside him, Happy was sprawled out on the other side of the seat, fast asleep.

"Hey, Natsu?" Lucy asked hesitantly, pausing as the train went over a bump. Natsu went green at the motion, and his breathing went deliberately even. He made a humming noise, though, to show that he'd heard her. Lucy searched for the best way to word her question. Asking what he'd been up to sounded too accusatory. Natsu still wasn't looking at her, head tilted back, and eyes closed, so Lucy sighed, took the plunge. "Are you okay?"

Natsu shifted his head slightly and cracked one eye open, looking at her. "Aye," he answered, tone careful. He gave a tired smile, but Lucy wasn't convinced. "Why'd you ask?" There was something guarded in his tone.

Lucy barrelled on, regardless. "It's just – you have that cut on your chest." She gestured towards it, Natsu's open eye watching her. "And you've seemed really out of sorts today." She frowned as his expression seemed to shutter. "Did something happen?" Natsu didn't respond, merely stared at her. "Natsu?"

After what seemed like an endless moment, Natsu sighed. "It's nothing," He gave her a smile that seemed more forced than anything. "Don't worry about it." Lucy continued to stare at him, frowning in concern, and Natsu just closed his eye for a moment. "Okay…" A beat, a deep breath to seemingly collect himself. "I just dealt with another of my brother's demons." His face darkened. "Another that he just left to wander Ishgar."

Lucy frowned in thought, biting her lip. "Your brother," she repeated quietly, watching him. "Zeref…"

Natsu nodded, eyes opening slightly again to regard her. He looked rather like a cat in that moment. The train bumped slightly, rocking the compartment from side to side, and Natsu paled at the motion. "Yeah," he said, sighing heavily. "The demon had been… causing issues for a town. I decided to put a stop to it." He flexed his hand slightly, casting it a shadowed look. "Never gets any easier, though."

Lucy looked down, at a loss for words. What could she say to that? She had no experience with demons, beyond Natsu himself, and as she had told him numerous times, he wasn't exactly the best example for demony things. "I'm sorry," she offered, looking back up. Natsu merely gave her a subdued smile and lifted one shoulder slightly, letting it drop back down after a moment.

"Don't be," he replied, tilting his head slightly so that his cheek was resting against the glass of the window. His eyes turned concerned as he looked back over at her. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"Mhm." Natsu shifted again, almost pinning her with his stare, intense and all-seeing. "You just saw your dad. He sent the Phantom creeps after you." His face twisted in obvious distaste, and Lucy smiled slightly at that. "Can't've been easy."

Lucy took a moment to think about her response, mentally went over the events of that day. She had known that it wouldn't be easy, even before getting on the train to go back. Being in her childhood home, though, and facing her father… in some ways, that was harder to deal with than Phantom had been. And saying goodbye to her father, even if she didn't regret it, was still the hardest thing she'd ever done. Her chest ached slightly.

"I'm…" she trailed off, trying to find the right words to describe her feelings. Natsu just watched her quietly, hand idly running through Happy's fur. For a moment, she felt like saying that she was fine, but eventually decided against it. Another sigh, and, "I will be okay."

Natsu nodded again, hint of a smile playing around the edge of his mouth. "Yeah," he agreed quietly, "you will be."

After that, they settled into a comfortable, companionable silence. Natsu resumed his leaning against the window, somehow managing to curl up into an even smaller ball and rested his cheek against the glass again. Lucy watched him for a while, smiled whenever he would groan from motion sickness.

By the time they had arrived back in Magnolia, the ache in her chest had dissipated, replaced by a tingling warmth. She smiled for the rest of the day.

* * *

Author's note: So! That's Lucy's 'going home' thing dealt with. I'll also be skipping the 'a star removed from the sky' episodes because there's not really a lot I can do to change them, so it'll just be an off-screen event that characters will refer to later on. This means that the next chapter will be the start of the tower of heaven arc :) Anyway, I really hope that this turned out okay!

The line 'demony things' is a tiny reference to a side quest in act two of dragon age 2 :)


End file.
